Farmers endure unbearable losses on multiple crop failures, says PKI
smartcybers786@gmail.com 
A farmer harvests wheat crops in a field. — AFP/File
#Farmers #endure #unbearable #losses #multiple #crop #failures #PKI
LAHORE: Farmers Pakistan Kasan Attaad said on Wednesday that farmers have endured crop failures and commodity prices, which are starting agricultural emergencies in the country.
The agricultural sector is tampering with the end of the elimination, which has increased by 5.84 % in just one year and the major crop yield is less than 13 %, including an 8.9 % reduction in wheat crop. According to the farmer body, the farmers have taken a devastating loss of Rs 2,200 billion in wheat between May 2024 and May 2025.
Similarly, cotton production has been reduced by half, which has increased the abnormal 178 % increase in imported bills to 45 4.45 billion, which causes burden on foreign reserves and damages economic stability. The corn crop is not a different story. Addressing a press conference, the president of PKI Khalid Khokhar said that maize farmers in maize have faced a 15.4 % increase in maize.
He continued, saying that despite an extension of 9.0 % of the national GDP, the rapidly shrinking partnership of agriculture exposes systemic failures that are at risk of exposing national food safety, destroying rural lives and eliminating economic flexibility.
Pakistan’s agricultural export performance for 2024-25 has deteriorated to a dangerous extent, which has exposed the deep structural risks of agriculture and threatens the country’s already critical economic stability. The key agricultural commodities have recorded a sharp decline, corn exports fall due to amazing 86 %, which is just $ 58.9 million. Traditionally, a high foreign exchange earner has dropped by 15 % to $ 3.3 billion, while onion exports have decreased by 48 %, mens.
The Punjab government has proposed budget for Rs 129.8 billion for the financial year 2025-26-which is a slight increase of 10.75 % over the previous year-stakeholders have strongly criticized the stakeholders who say it has understood the deep crisis in the sector.
PKI has warned that the continued neglect of agriculture, marked by crop production and decreasing investment, Pakistan’s trade balance, foreign reserves and food safety are at risk. It called a “token gesture” for Rs 12 billion in response to a multi -trillion rupee crisis.
Despite the rapid misery, the government’s proposal to tax on agricultural income – using the same slabs implemented on corporates – has already raised the burden of farmers suffering from climate tremors, input costs and lack of water. If it is implemented, this move can damage rural poverty and create mass migration, protests and unrest.
Fertilizer use and tractor sales – Key indicators of field investment – Kharif crops production, especially the potential elimination in cotton. If the trend continues in the rabi season, wheat sowing may decrease rapidly, which pushes the country closer to the emergency of food.
In the financial year 25, the agriculture sector signed a 5.84 % contract. Major crop yields declined by 13.49 % year by year. Cotton production was only standing in only 5.55 million bales – less than 50 % of the target. Wheat production has dropped by 8.91 % to 28.98 million tonnes, which is an estimated Rs 2550 billion in potential price. The maize declined by 15.4 %, while prices last month fell 40kg per 40kg. Sugarter production was 84.24 million tonnes.
Pakistan’s cotton import bill is being predicted that this fiscal year will increase by 178 % to $ 4.45 billion, which reflects deep structural incompetence.
To tackle this crisis, PKI proposed to set up an Agri Community Price Commission to ensure a 25 % return to investment and fair prices. Other recommendations include establishing the Agricultural Export Authority, eliminating GST on seed cotton, eliminating tractors, and tools, and fixing uniform RS10/unit power prices for irrigation tube wells.
