LAHORE: Small farmers across the country staged demonstrations on Sunday. They demanded “guaranteed” support prices, including Rs5,000 per maund for wheat. Moreover, they demanded an immediate halt to corporate land grabbing and genetically modified crops.
The Pakistan Kissan Rabta Committee (PKRC) organised the nationwide demonstrations. Specifically, they highlighted what organisers described as a rapidly deepening rural crisis. The crisis is driven by skyrocketing costs of diesel, electricity, fertilisers and seeds. In addition, crop returns no longer cover the cost of production.
Rs5,000 per maund at the centre of the demands
The Rs5,000 per maund demand is not new. Earlier this month, a National Assembly body sought the same price for the rabi season. In fact, Feature Pakistanreported on October 2about this development. Since then, the wheat question has moved quickly.Sindh announced a subsidised wheat releaseto bring down flour prices on October 8. A day later,chakki owners in Hyderabad rejected the official Rs12,500 issue price as unworkable.
The farmers’ demonstrations also drew attention to the breadline pressure in cities. Earlier in October,Peshawar saw a flour price surgethat pushed roti prices up. Consequently, this underlines how quickly farm-gate economics reach urban consumers.
Opposition to IMF-backed policies
The participants voiced strong opposition to IMF and World Bank-backed economic policies. In fact, these policies promote market deregulation and the weakening of public agricultural institutions. Organisers argued that deregulation has left small growers exposed. The growers now face powerful middlemen and market cartels. In addition, they have no public safety net to fall back on.
Their key demands include the immediate restoration of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO). They also want a robust public procurement mechanism. As a result, this would shield growers from exploitation.
PKRC President Tariq Mahmood and Secretary General Riffat Maqsood spoke for the farmers. They said small landholders were being pushed to the brink of financial collapse. Indeed, input costs are rising far faster than the prices they receive for their crops.
Call for agrarian reform
PKRC Federal Committee member Farooq Tariq spoke about food security. Moreover, he said the true path to national food security lay in genuine agrarian reforms. Furthermore, these include land redistribution for landless peasants, transparent water distribution and support for local seed sovereignty. He argued against handing national agricultural resources to commercial conglomerates. He also opposed expanding GM crops. In his words, those policies are a threat to small farmers rather than a solution to food insecurity.
The demonstrations come at a difficult moment for rural Pakistan. Cotton growers in Sindh havecrossed four million balesthis season. In fact, this is a bright spot for the farm economy. However, wheat, the country’s staple crop, remains the flashpoint. Procurement policy, support prices and flour prices are pulling in different directions.
For the government, the protests add to the pressure on an already sensitive file. Meanwhile, the support price decision for the coming rabi season will determine planting decisions for millions of smallholders. In addition, the PKRC has made clear it will keep the issue on the streets. It will do so until a guaranteed price is announced.
Frequently asked questions
What are the farmers demanding?
The farmers have three main demands. They want a guaranteed support price of Rs5,000 per maund for wheat. They also want an end to corporate land grabbing and genetically modified crops. Finally, they seek the restoration of PASSCO and public procurement.
Who organised the demonstrations?
In fact, the Pakistan Kissan Rabta Committee (PKRC), a farmers’ organisation, organised the nationwide demonstrations held on Sunday.
Why is the wheat support price controversial?
Input costs for diesel, electricity, fertilisers and seeds have risen sharply while crop returns remain low. The NA body has backed Rs5,000 per maund. However, chakki owners have rejected the official issue price. Meanwhile, flour prices have surged in cities like Peshawar.
