LAHORE(National Times)- Punjab will procure three million tonnes of wheat this season, announces Agriculture Minister Ashiq Kirmani days before the new crop is to hit the market.
Chairing a stakeholders’ consultation on the grain harvesting for the 2025-26 crop season here on Wednesday, he said estimates of wheat harvesting costs have been finalised for each district through mutual coordination between the agriculture department and service providers. He emphasised that service providers must not charge farmers more than the prescribed rates as a procurement target of three million tonnes has been set for the current year.
Kirmani added that the formal wheat procurement in Punjab would commence from April 15, and all procurement centres would be fully operational and ready to facilitate the growers.
MPAs Rana Muhammad Saleem and Chaudhry Muhammad Javed, representatives of farmers’ organisations, including Khalid Mehmood Khokhar, Chaudhry Khalid Bath, Sardar Zafar Hussain Khan, Muhammad Afaq Tiwana, Chaudhry Shaukat Ali Chadhar, Munir Shaheen, Rana Muhammad Iftikhar, Chaudhry Maqsood Ahmad Jatt, Jameel Nisar Chaudhry, Tahir Razzaq Gujjar, Mehmoodul Haq Bukhari, and Jameelur Rehman Buzdar along with harvester owners and service providers, participated in the meeting.
Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo told the meeting that initial estimates suggest a bumper wheat crop this year. He informed that in view of the prevailing weather conditions growers are being provided with comprehensive guidance regarding timely and safe wheat harvesting. He added that technical assistance is being ensured at all stages to support farmers in better crop management and to safeguard production.
Mr Chadhar, who is Kisan Board Pakistan leader, told Dawn that the government didn’t listen to the growers’ pleas about giving an indicative rate of wheat keeping in view production cost which, he claimed, was Rs4,750 per maund on an average 35 maunds per acre yield.
On the other hand, he said, the market price of grain dropped by Rs600 to Rs3,300 per maund against the government’s declaration that at least three millions tonnes of wheat would be procured through the private sector this season.
He regretted that the government also refused to fix rent of harvesters, leaving it up to the market forces as the cost of all farm inputs, including labour, has gone up in the wake of the high prices of petroleum products.
