MULTAN: Farmers in Multan have issued a warning to the government, stating they will stage a protest if the official wheat support price is not announced by April 14.
Chairman of Kisan Ittehad, Khalid Khokhar, said thousands of farmers — including women and children — are expected to gather outside the Multan Press Club for the demonstration. He criticised the government’s delay, pointing out that many farmers had sown wheat on the assurance of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and were now left uncertain about the crop’s market value.
The protest threat comes amid recent moves by the Punjab government aimed at liberalising the wheat market. Authorities have announced that wheat can now be transported freely within and outside the province, eliminating previous restrictions on interprovincial movement.
Additionally, the private sector has, for the first time, been granted permission to procure wheat, a shift that is expected to boost competition and potentially benefit farmers with better pricing options.
While these measures have been welcomed as steps toward deregulation, farmer groups argue that without an officially declared support price, they remain vulnerable to market manipulation and low returns.
Khokhar urged the government to uphold its commitment to farmers and warned that continued delays would only deepen the crisis in the agricultural sector.
