Punjab Fixes Wheat Support Price at Rs4,500 a Maund
The Punjab government has set a wheat cultivation target of 16.5 million acres for the coming season and fixed the wheat support price at Rs4,500 per maund. The aim is to protect farmers’ interests and strengthen national food security.
Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani announced the measures while chairing a review meeting at the Commissioner’s Office on Wednesday. ProPakistani reported the announcement on Thursday, and Dawn’s business pages carried the same figures.
The support price is the rate at which the government buys wheat from growers. A firm price gives farmers a clear return before they sow, and it sets the floor for the open market through the season.
Wheat support price backed by Kissan Card and loans
Kirmani said the government had allocated Rs150 billion under the Kissan Card programme to help farmers buy agricultural inputs. A further Rs425 billion in interest-free loans had been disbursed over the past two and a half years.
He said the government had also distributed 45,000 tractors at subsidised rates under the Green Tractor Scheme. The Punjab Seed Corporation had provided a subsidy of Rs450 million on certified wheat seed to encourage farmers to use quality inputs.
Reviewing cultivation targets across divisions, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Shakeel Ahmad Mian said Lahore Division had been assigned a wheat cultivation target of 1.35 million acres for the coming season. That is an increase of 50,000 acres from the previous year.
The agriculture minister directed field officers to ensure that approved 50 kilogram bags of wheat seed were sold at the fixed price of Rs7,000. He also ordered strict action against hoarding, profiteering, black marketing and theft of canal water.
What the price means for Punjab growers
For Punjab’s wheat growers, the Rs4,500 support price settles the main question before sowing: what the crop will be worth. Wheat is the province’s staple crop, and the support price shapes decisions on seed, fertiliser and acreage across millions of acres.
The 16.5 million acre target is ambitious, and the Lahore Division increase shows the province is pushing acreage up rather than holding it flat. The seed subsidy and the fixed Rs7,000 bag price are meant to make sure growers can afford quality seed rather than saving seed from last year’s crop.
The measures build on support announced earlier in the season. Farmers have been receiving a fertiliser subsidy of Rs5,000 per bag, which cuts one of the largest costs in wheat cultivation. Sindh cut its wheat release price in a separate move aimed at easing flour prices.
Water remains the other half of the equation. Punjab has cracked down on canal water theft, and farmers in Taunsa have faced severe losses from the Chashma canal closure after a September breach. The minister’s order on canal water theft speaks directly to that problem.
The province has also moved to secure water for the longer term, with the Economic Coordination Committee approving Rs275 billion for six water projects including the Chashma Right Bank Canal.
Key figures at a glance
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Wheat support price | Rs4,500 per maund |
| Cultivation target | 16.5 million acres |
| Lahore Division target | 1.35 million acres (up 50,000) |
| Kissan Card allocation | Rs150 billion |
| Interest-free loans disbursed | Rs425 billion over 2.5 years |
| Tractors distributed at subsidised rates | 45,000 |
| Subsidy on certified wheat seed | Rs450 million |
| Fixed price, 50 kg seed bag | Rs7,000 |
The test for the package will come at sowing time and again at harvest. Growers will judge it on whether seed reaches them at Rs7,000 a bag, whether canal water arrives on time, and whether the government buys at Rs4,500 a maund when the crop comes in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the wheat support price in Punjab for the new season?
Punjab has fixed the wheat support price at Rs4,500 per maund for the coming season.
What is Punjab’s wheat cultivation target?
The province has set a wheat cultivation target of 16.5 million acres, including 1.35 million acres in Lahore Division, up 50,000 acres from last year.
What support is available to wheat farmers?
The government has allocated Rs150 billion under the Kissan Card programme, disbursed Rs425 billion in interest-free loans over two and a half years, distributed 45,000 subsidised tractors and provided a Rs450 million subsidy on certified wheat seed.
What is the fixed price of a 50 kg bag of wheat seed?
Approved 50 kilogram bags of wheat seed must be sold at the fixed price of Rs7,000, with strict action ordered against hoarding, profiteering and black marketing.
