Pakistan Farmers Demand Budget Boost for Agriculture

The Kissan Board Pakistan has called for agriculture to receive at least 10% of the federal and provincial budgets, arguing this is necessary to reduce input costs and address persistent deficits in the sector. The farmers’ group is also pushing for support prices of Rs5,000 per 40kg for wheat and Rs700 for sugarcane, citing falling profitability. They have criticized issues such as urea shortages, high electricity costs, weak returns in the fruit sector, and the closure of the Pak-Afghan border, threatening protests if their demands are not addressed.

The sector’s contribution of 22% to GDP and its support for nearly 60% of the population justify greater budgetary allocations, which currently hover at just 2-3%. However, simply increasing funding is not the solution. Decades of price subsidies and input support have led to market distortions, inefficient production, and benefits favoring well-connected producers over small farmers.

Instead, public investment should focus on addressing structural weaknesses that hinder farm productivity. Key areas include water management, irrigation efficiency, farm-to-market roads, storage, research, extension services, and better seed technology. Mechanization must be prioritized, with shared machinery services and affordable financing helping farmers lower production costs while raising yields and quality.

Farmers need policies that encourage competitiveness rather than reliance on state support. This means predictable trade policies, stable input markets, reliable access to finance, consistent power and water supply, and reduced arbitrary interference in crop markets. Beyond the farm gate, strengthening downstream processing industries can cut post-harvest losses, add value to farm output, and create export opportunities.

While farmers are right to demand greater public investment, the focus should be on how funds are allocated and the outcomes they achieve. Agriculture needs infrastructure, technology, mechanization, processing, markets, and policies that foster competitiveness, not perpetual dependence on government aid.