Farmers’ organizations have reacted strongly to the Punjab government’s announcement of fixing the official wheat rate at Rs 3,500 per maund for the coming year. Central Chairman Kisan Ittehad Khalid Hussain Bath said that this decision of the government is tantamount to injustice to the farmers.

Khalid Hussain Bath clarified that the price of wheat per maund should be fixed at least Rs 4,500 to 5,000 as per the current cost of farmers, because the prices of DAP fertilizer, urea, diesel and electricity have increased significantly. According to him, all expenses from land preparation to harvesting have doubled, due to which the farmers are facing severe difficulties.

He criticized the Punjab government and said that Maryam Nawaz brings schemes in the name of farmers, but the farmers are not getting any benefit from them. Be it the Kisan Card or the free tractor scheme, corruption has failed all the projects. Fake fertilizers and substandard seeds have destroyed the crop production and the government has turned a blind eye to this situation.

Khalid Hussain Bath clearly announced that farmers will not be deceived now. Until the government sets the wheat rate according to the cost, we will not cultivate wheat. He warned that if the farmers’ demands are not met, the wheat harvest next year will be less and the food crisis in the country will increase.