Growers’ associations have urged the Sindh government to promptly activate wheat procurement centers, supply gunny bags, purchase 1.4 million tonnes from farmers, and increase the support price. They argue that such measures would greatly benefit and motivate farmers.
They have highlighted that despite peasants having been harvesting wheat for the past two weeks, the government’s procurement centers remain non-functional. The harvesting season spans from February 20 to April 30.
Anticipating a bumper crop of over 5 million tonnes in Sindh due to favorable winter conditions, adequate water supply, and other supportive factors, growers stress the importance of timely government intervention.
Last year, the province yielded almost 4.8 million tonnes of wheat. Despite the government setting a support price of Rs4,000 per 40 kg and a procurement target of 1.4 million tonnes, growers assert that only 1.3 million tonnes were purchased, as private buyers offered higher prices ranging from Rs4,500 to Rs4,600 per 40 kg in the local market.
Despite the increased output this year, the government has reduced the procurement target and has not raised the support price, despite escalating food inflation.
Nabi Bux Sathio, Senior Vice President of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA), emphasized the urgent need for action. He criticized the support price of Rs4,000 per 40 kg, recently endorsed by the Sindh cabinet, arguing that input costs such as fertilizers, seeds, and fuel outweigh the returns for farmers this year.
Sathio questioned the government’s handling of wheat stocks, particularly why flour mills and smaller mills were not supplied with wheat when flour prices surged a few months ago. He predicts that now these mills will demand fresh wheat.
Rejecting the support price of Rs4,000 per 40 kg, Sathio demands that the government increase it to Rs6,000 and ensure wheat flour is sold at Rs75 per kg for the public’s benefit. He insists that the government should adjust the support price in accordance with the rising inflation rate.
