ISLAMABAD: The Kissan Ittehad has threatened a nationwide protest march to Islamabad, demanding an increase in wheat and sugarcane support prices and immediate reduction in agricultural input costs.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Kissan Ittehad Central Chairman Khalid Hussain criticized the Punjab government for giving flour mills unchecked power to exploit farmers, resulting in billions of rupees in losses to the agriculture sector.
He urged the government to set the wheat support price at Rs5,000 per 40 kg and sugarcane at Rs400 per 40 kg, warning of a sit-in in the federal capital if these demands were ignored.
Flanked by Kissan Ittehad President Mian Umair Masood, Mr. Hussain highlighted 2024 as a catastrophic year for Pakistan’s agriculture sector. Farmers faced multiple challenges, including slashed wheat support prices, inflated electricity bills for tube wells, and a hike in irrigation water costs from Rs300 to Rs5,000 per hour.
“Despite promises, the Punjab government has not fixed sugarcane prices, while sugar mills exploit growers by offering Rs300 to Rs325 per maund, far below the industry’s announced rate of Rs400,” Mr. Hussain said.
He also criticized authorities for the unavailability of quality seeds, black marketing of urea fertilizer, and the absence of subsidies to counter skyrocketing production costs.
These rising challenges, he claimed, threaten not just the livelihood of farmers but also the food security of the nation.
