Growers’ associations in Sindh have called upon the provincial government to take immediate action to support wheat farmers by activating wheat procurement centers, providing gunny bags, purchasing 1.4 million tonnes of wheat from farmers, and increasing the support price. These measures, they argue, are essential to benefit and encourage farmers during the ongoing wheat harvesting season.
Despite the wheat harvesting season being underway for the past two weeks, the government’s procurement centers have yet to become operational, causing concerns among farmers. With favorable winter weather conditions, adequate water supply, and other supportive factors, farmers anticipate a bumper crop of over 5 million tonnes of wheat in Sindh this year, compared to the approximately 4.8 million tonnes produced last year.
Last season, the government set the support price at Rs4,000 per 40 kg and aimed to procure 1.4 million tonnes of wheat. However, according to growers, the procurement fell short at 1.3 million tonnes due to private buyers offering 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 the surge in food inflation. Growers are urging the government to address these issues promptly.
Nabi Bux Sathio, Senior Vice President of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA), stressed the need for the government to activate wheat procurement centers by April 1, provide gunny bags, ensure timely payments to farmers, and increase the procurement target to 1.4 million tonnes from the current 900,000 tonnes.
Sathio highlighted the disparity between input costs, including fertilizers, seeds, and fuel, and the returns on output for farmers this year. He also raised concerns about the government’s handling of wheat stocks, questioning why flour mills were not provided wheat when flour prices surged a few months ago.
In light of rising inflation, Sathio emphasized the need for the government to increase the support price to Rs6,000 per 40 kg and ensure that wheat flour is available to the public at Rs75 per kg. He argued that setting the support price in line with inflation is crucial to safeguarding the interests of farmers and consumers alike.
