JARANWALA The City

Wheat crop low yield, govt policy disappoint farmers
From Our Correspondent
JARANWALA: Per acre wheat crop yield has remained below expectations throughout Jaranwala tehsil this year. Farmers were expecting a bumper crop but their hopes did not come true, according to farming community.
The per acre wheat yield remained 25-35 maund on average against the estimated yield of 35-55 maund.
Also, small farmers could not benefit from the official rate of Rs1,300 per 40 kilograms due to ineffective procurement policy of the Punjab government, and they were forced to sell their produce to the middleman and commission agents at the rate of Rs1,150/40kg.
The government functionaries did not appear making sincere efforts to provide gunny bags to farmers and purchasing wheat from small farmers at official rate.
A farmer Mohammad Ijaz Butt and others told The News the government representatives adopted a double policy and deprived small farmers of selling their produce at the support price. They alleged that the anti-agriculture attitude of the incumbent government had ruined the agriculture sector.