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MULTAN, Nov 02 (APP):Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI) President Khalid Mahmood Khokhar on Sunday urged the government and opposition parties to unite for the revival of the agriculture sector, describing it as the backbone of the national economy.
Addressing a press conference, he welcomed the Lahore High Court’s decision to deregulate the wheat market and appealed to the government not to file a review petition against it. “If the government challenges the verdict, Pakistan Kissan Ittehad will also approach the court,” he warned.
Khokhar said wheat was the driving force behind all crops, cultivated on 24 million acres out of the country’s 45 million cultivable acres. He lamented that farmers had suffered losses of around Rs 2,200 billion over the past two years due to flawed pricing policies.
He criticized the government for fixing bread and flour prices after deregulating wheat, calling it an unfair move against growers. “If the government sets a support price, it must also ensure control over market rates,” he maintained.
The PKI president pointed out that despite being an agricultural country, Pakistan continued to import food commodities while farmers faced rising input costs. “We have all seasons and resources, yet our agriculture is collapsing,” he regretted.
He said DAP fertilizer was being sold at Rs 15,000 per bag, whereas neighboring countries provided cheaper inputs and free electricity to farmers. He demanded cost-based pricing for crops along with a 25 percent profit margin. “We will salute any government that ensures Rs 3,400 per maund as wheat production cost and a fair profit,” he asserted.
Khokhar stated that agriculture contributed $27 billion to the economy, yet remained outside national priorities. “Farmers’ collapse means the collapse of the entire economy,” he remarked.
He also rejected the proposal to impose an agricultural income tax, emphasizing that the government should inform international lenders that the farming community was already in deep crisis. “We are capable of feeding the entire Middle East,” he said.
He added that Punjab had even shared its water with Sindh for national harmony and brotherhood but criticized those opposing the use of Punjab’s water for developing Cholistan.
Khokhar concluded by calling for farmer-friendly policies and unity among all political forces to ensure food security, saying, “Food security now comes before border security across the world.”