Farmers to launch protest against agri policies

LAHORE: The Kisan Ittehad has announced a province-wide protest movement in June against what it termed anti-farmer policies, warning that growers are facing an unprecedented crisis due to flawed wheat, sugar and agricultural policies.

The organisation also urged the government to focus on tackling the challenges posed by the climate change and ensuring protection to agriculture from its impacts in the coming annual budget.

Addressing a press conference, Kisan Ittehad Central Chairman Khalid Hussain Bath alleged that in 2024 the Punjab government asked farmers to register for wheat procurement but did not purchase a single grain, while the Electronic Warehouse Receipt (EWR) system introduced in 2025 also failed to ensure wheat procurement.

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Bath questioned official claims of bumper wheat production and successful procurement, arguing that wheat was becoming scarce in markets and selling at around Rs4,000 per maund, while private companies had purchased wheat from farmers at prices as low as Rs2,800 to Rs3,500 per maund.

He also criticized reports of plans to import around three million metric tons of wheat, asking why imports were being considered if domestic stocks were sufficient.

He said climate change had significantly affected wheat production and maintained that restrictions on the movement of wheat contradicted the government’s deregulation policy. Referring to the sugar sector, he warned that allowing sugar exports could eventually lead to costly imports, repeating mistakes made in the past.

The Kisan Ittehad chairman criticized ministers for using terms such as “seasonal farmers” and “farmer mafia,” alleging that they were not presenting the true picture of the agricultural sector to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. He urged the Prime Minister and the Army Chief to take notice of farmers’ grievances and ensure their concerns were addressed.

Bath said the planned protest would remain peaceful and could include marches and caravans. He also demanded special relief for farmers’ children in PMS examinations, including raising the upper age limit to 35 years and allowing five attempts.

Meanwhile, Kisan Ittehad Central President Umair Masood alleged that wheat imports had become a source of commissions and profiteering while farmers continued to bear rising production costs without subsidies on electricity or fertilizers. He claimed growers were being prevented from moving wheat outside their districts and were being forced to sell produce at depressed prices.

Masood rejected official claims that farmers had become prosperous, saying agricultural growth had slipped into negative territory. He announced that the organization’s protest movement would culminate in Lahore during June, although a final date had not yet been disclosed.

The farmers’ leaders warned that unless urgent corrective measures were taken, the crisis facing Pakistan’s agriculture sector would deepen further, threatening both farmer livelihoods and national food security.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026