Small farmers demonstrated in several parts of Pakistan on Sunday, October 18, calling for a guaranteed wheat support price of Rs5,000 per maund and relief from rising agricultural costs.
The protests were organised by the Pakistan Kissan Rabta Committee (PKRC), according to Dawn’s October 19 report.
Farmers say higher prices for diesel, electricity, fertiliser and seeds have made cultivation increasingly expensive while the prices they receive for crops remain uncertain.
What farmers are demanding
Alongside the proposed wheat support price, the committee called for the restoration of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) and a stronger public procurement system.
Support prices and government purchases can offer growers a degree of certainty about their earnings. They can also carry costs for public finances and influence market prices, making the design of such policies a matter of wider economic debate.
The farmers’ group also raised objections to corporate control of agricultural land and genetically modified crops.
Why the dispute matters
Wheat is a staple crop in Pakistan. Decisions about farm prices affect growers’ incomes, particularly those with small holdings, and can eventually influence food markets and government spending.
The PKRC argues that existing arrangements leave small farmers exposed to middlemen and unstable crop prices. Its representatives have called for broader agricultural reforms, including fairer access to land and water.
No government decision to adopt the Rs5,000-per-maund demand was established in the reporting reviewed for this article.