KARACHI — Sindh Agriculture Minister Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar has called on the federal government to promptly set the wheat support price, citing growing financial pressure on farmers due to pricing uncertainty.
Minister Mahar urged Islamabad to fix the wheat support price at Rs4,200 per 40kg, stressing that delays were making it difficult for farmers to plan cultivation.
He said that under IMF restrictions, provincial governments cannot independently set support prices without federal approval, which has left Sindh’s farmers in financial distress.
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The minister warned that if farmers do not get a fair return, many might abandon wheat cultivation and shift to more profitable crops — a move that could lead to a food shortage in the coming months.
The PPP Central Executive Committee has also urged the federal government to announce the minimum wheat support price immediately.
To support farmers, the Sindh government has launched a Rs56 billion “Wheat Cultivation Support Programme”, offering a subsidy of Rs24,700 per acre for urea and DAP fertilizer purchases.
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So far, 132,601 farmers have registered under the scheme, which targets 411,000 farmers owning 1 to 25 acres.
Additionally, Rs8 billion have been allocated under the “Hari Card Scheme” to further assist growers.
Minister Mahar emphasized the need for a uniform support price across Pakistan and a coordinated national policy to safeguard farmers’ livelihoods and ensure fair returns for their crops.