Farmers Demand Govt Allow Surplus Sugar Exports, Set Wheat Price at Rs5,000

Pakistan's farmer organizations are calling on the government to immediately allow surplus sugar exports and set the minimum purchase price for next wheat crop at Rs5,000 per maund.

Khalid Mahmood Khokhar, President of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI), said that despite the approaching wheat sowing season, no policy has been announced by the government regarding the crop. He emphasized that agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan's economy and wheat is the largest crop in the country, serving as a driving force for other agricultural sectors.

Farmers are struggling to use balanced fertilizers due to lack of funds, with Khokhar citing an example where farmers previously used 2.39 million tons of DAP but now only 1.25 million tons. He also stated that sugarcane cultivation has increased by 16 percent this time and sugar production is expected to rise by 25-30 percent this year.

Khokhar demanded the government to fix the support price of wheat at Rs5,000 per 40 kilograms and reserve enough sugar for public consumption through November. He warned that failure to do so would result in heavy losses for farmers, which could spread to subsequent crops.