LAHORE: President of the Kisan Ittehad, Khalid Hussain Bath, has strongly criticized the Punjab government’s agricultural policies, alleging that official claims of supporting farmers and boosting agricultural production are far from realities on the ground.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Bath termed Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani’s assertions regarding increased agricultural output as “false and misleading,” claiming that farmers across the province are facing severe financial and operational challenges.
He said that cotton productivity had declined sharply over the years, alleging that average per-acre yields had fallen from around 25 maunds to nearly 10 maunds. Similarly, he claimed that wheat production per acre had dropped from about 50 maunds to between 20 and 25 maunds, despite official claims of improvement in the sector.
Bath attributed the difficulties faced by growers to extreme temperatures, water shortages, the availability of substandard seed and rising fertilizer prices. He maintained that farmers are increasingly forced to borrow money to cultivate crops and often remain indebted even after selling their produce.
He further alleged that Punjab’s irrigation system had deteriorated significantly; leaving farmers struggling to secure even single water turn for their fields.
Criticizing the government’s wheat-related enforcement measures, Bath said raids on farmers’ homes and the confiscation of wheat stocks amounted to harassment and a violation of the sanctity of private homes. Addressing Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, he questioned why such actions were being taken if wheat supplies in the province were indeed abundant.
“Farmers are neither thieves nor criminals; they are the people who feed the nation,” he said.
Bath also accused the authorities of applying double standards by remaining silent over what he described as unpaid dues owed to farmers by sugar mill owners while taking strict action against small growers. He alleged that wheat had been purchased from farmers at low prices while consumers continued to pay high flour prices, benefiting middlemen rather than producers or the public.
According to Bath, initiatives such as the Kisan Card and Green Tractor Scheme have failed to provide meaningful relief to growers and have largely remained symbolic measures.
He warned that if cases registered against farmers were not withdrawn, protests would expand from Bahawalnagar to Lahore and eventually Islamabad.
“Kisan bache ga to Pakistan bache ga (If the farmer survives, Pakistan survives),” Bath said, adding that weakening the farming community would ultimately undermine the country’s economy and food security.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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