The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Standing Committee on Agriculture has expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing wheat crisis in Punjab. Farmers are being compelled to sell their wheat crops at significantly reduced prices, contrary to the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
Ahmad Jawad, Chief of the FPCCI Panel on Agriculture, highlighted that wheat farmers are facing severe challenges as wheat prices in Punjab have dropped below Rs3,000 per maund (approximately 40 kilograms) due to the provincial government’s failure to initiate its wheat procurement campaign. This situation has caused considerable distress among farmers and raises concerns about a potential decline in wheat production next year. Jawad emphasized, “Middlemen are holding onto over a billion rupees instead of channeling these funds to the farming community.”
Despite achieving a record harvest this year, the Punjab government’s inadequate strategy for wheat procurement has led to a halt in the process, leaving farmers with limited options. Although the government had set a support price of Rs3,900 per maund, the absence of official purchases has resulted in market prices plummeting to Rs2,900.
FPCCI officials also pointed out that the government had changed the procedure for applying to sell wheat to the provincial food department. Previously, growers were required to submit written applications to obtain gunny bags for packing and transporting wheat to procurement centers. However, this time, the government introduced a mobile application for this purpose, ignoring the fact that a majority of the rural population lacks technological proficiency. Despite this challenge, over 400,000 growers applied for gunny bags, with many awaiting approval. Furthermore, district food departments across the province have effectively halted wheat procurement activities.
