Pakistani farmers have announced their plan to protest against the government’s decision not to directly procure wheat, with a sit-in scheduled outside the Chief Minister’s Office on May 16, led by Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Sardar Zafar Hussain Khan, central president of Kisan Board Pakistan, expressed farmers’ angover over the decision to abolit the Food Department formed to safeguard their interests.
Despite the submission of 190,000 Bardana (bags) applications by farmers, the government has declined to purchase wheat, opting for a policy shift. This new approach sidelines the Food Department’s role in procurement, favoring direct engagement between farmers and the private sector.
The decision comes amid reports of the food department grappling with an annual burden of Rs 400 billion. As part of the new policy, uniform wheat prices across all four provinces are proposed, with an initial implementation period of two years.
