Expert fears low wheat cultivation if crisis not tackled

By Bureau report
May 08, 2024
A farmer harvests wheat crops in a field in Peshawar. — AFP/File
A farmer harvests wheat crops in a field in Peshawar. — AFP/File

PESHAWAR: A noted agriculture expert and former secretary of the Pakistan Tobacco Board Khan Faraz has feared that the farmers may not cultivate wheat next year if the issue of low wheat price was not resolved.

“The farmers have been forced to sell wheat at less than the officially calculated cost of production in Punjab. The Food Department, the biggest purchaser of wheat in the country, has failed to enter the market in line with its mandate of stabilising commodity price and procurement plan,” he said.

Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, he said that wheat was one of the most strategic crops globally which had always been a big challenge for many governments.

In Pakistan too, he said, wheat was one of the most important staple foods.It merits a mention that the federal government has fixed a procurement target of 1.8 million metric tonnes of wheat during the current season.

The provincial government has set a procurement target of 0.60 million metric tonnes while the Balochistan government has fixed 0.6 million metric tons for this season.“The absence of provincial government in the wheat market at the harvest time means complete impunity for the powerful flour millers and middlemen to buy wheat at their sweet will. Consequently, price of wheat being purchased by the private sector including flour mills has dropped to as low as Rs2,800 per 40kg against official rate of Rs3,900 per 40kg, which is also lower than the cost of production calculated by Agriculture Policy Institute, Ministry of National Food Security & Research for 2023-24 crop,” the agriculturalist explained.

In view of the above, the wheat farmers apprehend that the price of wheat could fall further in the next couple weeks.“This is a serious issue and the government must address the concerns of the farmers or else they will not cultivate wheat crops next year and this might cause its shortage,” Khan Faraz said. He called upon the government to take steps to protect the farmers against loss.