Report: ANI
ISLAMABAD: Leaders of farmers’ organisations from across Punjab on Tuesday met PTI Central Information Secretary and Farmers Wing Organizer Sheikh Waqas Akram and Farmers Wing spokesperson Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich, demanding an immediate announcement of a formal wheat support price to protect farmers’ economic interests.
The farmers’ representatives rejected the government’s indicative wheat price policy, saying it failed to provide effective financial protection. They explained that, unlike a guaranteed support price, an indicative price does not bind the government or the open market, leaving farmers vulnerable to exploitation by traders and middlemen.
Representatives from Jaranwala, Rawalpindi, Hafizabad, Phalia, Jhang, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan and other districts participated in the meeting.
Sheikh Waqas Akram and Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich assured the delegation that their concerns would be raised at the relevant forums. They stressed that merely declaring a support price would not resolve farmers’ problems without effective implementation and sustainable reforms.
The leaders called for substantial subsidies on diesel, fertilisers, electricity, certified seeds and other agricultural inputs, particularly for small farmers cultivating up to 12 acres.
Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich said farmers from Khyber to Karachi needed a consistent, long-term and farmer-friendly agricultural policy instead of short-term measures. He also demanded that the government directly procure upcoming crops and prevent commission agents and middlemen from exploiting farmers.
They stressed that protecting agriculture and ensuring national food security required fair returns for farmers, effective procurement mechanisms and comprehensive support for the farming community.
