KARACHI:
The Secretary General of Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) Sindh, Sardar Abdul Rahim, has strongly reacted to what he termed injustices against farmers and growers in Sindh, stating that continuous economic exploitation and unfair treatment are being meted out to farmers, tenants, and cultivators across the province. He said that due to anti-farmer government policies, growers are facing severe financial crisis, while a large number of poor farmers have been pushed under the burden of heavy debts.
Sardar Abdul Rahim said, the wheat harvesting season is about to begin, yet the government has so far failed to announce an appropriate official support price for wheat, which he described as a clear injustice to farmers. He demanded that the official procurement price of wheat be fixed at minimum Rs4,500 per maund so that farmers receive fair and reasonable return for their hard work.
He further said that while the government purchases wheat from growers at low prices, the same wheat is later sold to the public at more than double the price, which amounts to injustice towards both farmers and consumers. He demanded an immediate reduction in the prices of fertilser, agricultural pesticides, and other farming inputs in order to ease the financial burden on farmers.
Sardar Abdul Rahim added that farmers in Sindh are already facing severe difficulties due to artificial inflation, rising agricultural costs, and unfair government policies. He warned, if the government fails to introduce farmer-friendly policies immediately, the agriculture sector in Sindh will move towards further decline, making it increasingly difficult for growers to continue cultivation, which could trigger a serious food security in the country. He urged the Sindh government to immediately stop the exploitation of farmers and growers, set the wheat procurement price at Rs4,500 per maund, curb corruption in the agriculture department, and take practical and serious steps to revive the agriculture sector.
