MULTAN: Farmers in Multan have threatened to stage a large-scale protest if the government fails to announce the official wheat support price by April 14.
Chairman of the Kisan Ittehad, Khalid Khokhar, stated that thousands of farmers—including women and children—are prepared to gather outside the Multan Press Club to demand fair compensation for their wheat harvest. He expressed disappointment over the government's silence, noting that many farmers had cultivated wheat following the advice of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Now, they await the announcement of a fair market price for their crop.
The protest threat comes despite recent policy shifts from the Punjab government aimed at offering relief to wheat growers. In a major move, the government announced the deregulation of wheat transport, allowing farmers to move their produce freely within and outside provincial borders. This new policy enables them to sell wheat in markets offering the best rates, providing an opportunity for increased earnings.
In a significant first, the private sector has also been granted permission to procure wheat directly from farmers. This change is expected to foster competition among buyers, potentially driving up prices and giving farmers more leverage in the market.
The deregulation efforts are part of broader reforms intended to improve market dynamics and boost farmers’ incomes. Increased competition is expected to create more transparent pricing mechanisms and reduce the bottlenecks previously associated with government-controlled procurement.
Earlier, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting to assess the wheat procurement strategy and pre-harvest production levels. During the meeting, she praised Punjab’s farmers for achieving record-breaking wheat yields and acknowledged their hard work and commitment to national food security.
As part of ongoing support measures, the Punjab government also announced the distribution of 1,000 tractors to farmers free of cost, aiming to enhance agricultural productivity across the province.
Despite these initiatives, the delay in announcing a support price remains a pressing concern, with farmer representatives vowing to take to the streets unless swift action is taken.
