Pakistan: Will farmers provide subsidies to the entire population?

 Friday, February 7, 2025

Islamabad (Point News Today / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2025 ) Farmers say they cannot provide subsidies to the entire country from their own pockets and the government should also take care to control the prices of items used in agricultural production. On the contrary, the government is bent on disconnecting their electricity meters at a time when they are in dire need of water.

Recently, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has strongly criticized the alleged harassment of farmers by the Rangers. He strongly condemned the registration of FIRs against farmers and the forced collection of electricity bills in villages. He said that the government has acknowledged the incidents of overbilling, but there is no justification for using security forces to collect payments from farmers.

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The governor said, "It is in no way acceptable that farmers' livelihood issues should be made unbearable to reduce food prices in cities."

It is worth mentioning here that at this time, the wheat crop in the country is in dire need of water and cutting electricity meters at such a time can cause great loss to farmers and the wheat crop.

Agriculture expert and climate activist Aamir Hayat Bhandara says, "Cutting meters at such a time cannot be called right in any case and it is also against government policy. On the one hand, the government has issued a notification that farmers should supply water to their crops at all costs and on the other hand, power outages will be a big obstacle in this process."

Aamir Hayat further said that farmers' electricity bills are not like the electricity bills of the common people.

They should be given time. Usually, farmers are able to pay the bills after harvesting the crop. At this time, farmers need every penny, so the government should be lenient.

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Farmers’ rights activists and agriculture experts believe that food security in the country cannot be ensured in such a way, nor can inflation be controlled in such a way that farmers are not provided with a fair price for their produce.

“The government has made farmers a source of subsidy for the entire urban society, including the elite,” says Khalid Khokhar, a spokesman for the farmers. Instead of supporting the basic pillar of agriculture, farmers are being destroyed through a policy of expensive production and low price sales.”

Khalid Khokhar has strongly criticized the government’s agricultural policies, saying that an unbearable financial burden has been placed on farmers.

Several people have been arrested and most farmers’ electricity meters are being disconnected, which is further increasing their difficulties.

If the government cannot reduce agricultural costs, why does it fix the price of the crop?

Agricultural experts representing farmers believe that the government plays no role in controlling the cost of agricultural inputs and cannot provide subsidies to farmers due to its agreements with the IMF or provide any necessary facilities, but when it comes to the price of agricultural produce, the government intervenes immediately and fixes the price itself.

Aamir Hayat says that if the government does not play any role in reducing agricultural costs and prices are left free, then farmers should also be allowed to fix the price of their produce themselves and the entire process should be run under the principles of a free market. He added, “Food availability should be ensured, but its price should not be paid by farmers alone.”

The entire value chain in the agricultural sector has to contribute. Industry bigwigs should also spend money on research so that production per acre can increase and the farmer does not suffer even at a low price.”

Agricultural experts express the view that the government, despite knowing the cost of production, sets the price lower than it. Khalid Khokhar says, “Last year, the agriculture department set the cost of production of wheat at Rs 3,410 per 40 kg, but later the food department ordered that this crop be sold for a maximum of Rs 2,650.

“He said that it is beyond understanding what the government wants to do with the farmers and why the community, which works hard to provide food to the entire country, is being neglected so much.