Pakistan Farmers Demand Higher Support Prices Amid Peak Harvesting Season
Pakistan's farmers are demanding higher support prices for wheat and sugarcane as the country enters its peak harvesting season. The Sindh Abadgar Board and Sindh Abadgar Ittehad have submitted their demands to the government, calling for a wheat support price between Rs. 4,500 and Rs. 5,000 per 40kg for FY27.
They also want a sugarcane price of Rs. 500 to Rs. 600 per 40kg. Farmers argue that these rates would help cover their production costs, which have been strained by the government's decision not to fix the sugarcane price in the past two years.
The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Senior Vice President Nabi Bux Sathio warned that a delayed crushing season could increase farmers' costs and leave them dependent on decisions made by the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA).
Sindh Abadgar Board President Mahmood Nawaz Shah criticized the current policy, saying it has left growers dependent on market forces and resulted in significant losses for farmers. He also highlighted the rise in sugar prices, which generated around Rs. 58 billion in additional profits for millers across Pakistan last year.