KASUR: Several factors are contributing to the likely failure of the Punjab government’s new wheat procurement policy as the farmers are reluctant to sell their produce at the procurement centres. On the other hand, the district administration has launched its anti-hoarding campaign to facilitate the private companies to meet their purchase targets.
Wheat is being sold at Rs4,200 per maund (40kg) against the official price of Rs3,500 while the consumers apprehend that wheat prices could go further and it might not be available after a few weeks.
Private companies in Punjab, on the other hand, failed to purchase wheat under the government’s new procurement plan as the farmers are preferring to sell their produce to the private buyer or middleman.
The farmers, including Noor Ahmed, Abdul Razaq and Salamat Ali, said that as a result of its poor policies, the government would import wheat, causing a loss to the exchequer.
Higher prices in open market, late payments, fewer procurement centres are among main causes
Two companies out of 10 working in the district have failed to secure any significant quantity of wheat. There is no deadline so far but usually, the procurement ends in August.
The district had set a target to procure 37,100 metric tonnes of wheat but it could procure only 3,869 metric tonnes by the end of May.
According to farmers, fewer procurement centres, late payments, 2 to 2.5kg per maund deduction in wheat are forcing them to sell their produce at higher prices in the open market or to the middleman.
Interestingly, the district administration is showing no interest in controlling the higher price of wheat but it has set up check posts and launched an anti-hoarding drive.
An official of the district food control department, requesting anonymity, says that the aggregators started late procurement and showed reluctance in giving away gunny bags to discourage the farmers. He adds that ironically, the farmers pushed their produce to the open market where they got higher prices.
Local farmers say there are only four procurement centres in three tehsils of Kasur, Chunian and Pattoki while there is none in tehsil Kot Radha Kishan. As a result, the farmers avoided taking their produce to the far-flung procurement centres, given the cost of fuel. In addition to all this, the farmers had to wait even for a day or two as the staff of the private company would arrive hours after the farmer reached there.
The Kisan Board Pakistan expressed its concern about anti-hoarding raids by the government to facilitate private companies and warned of protest against its anti-farmer policies.
Pakistan Kisan Board (PKB) information secretary Muhammad Ramzan demanded the Punjab government revive its policies and manage to procure wheat through early process. He said that due to late procurement in south Punjab, the farmers were forced to sell wheat at price less than Rs3,000.
District Food Controller (DFC) Muhammad Shahbaz blamed the private companies for delayed procurement to exploit farmers. He said that the private companies might not achieve their target as the farmers were reluctant to sell wheat at the price prescribed by the Punjab government. He, however, denied the allegation of deduction of wheat in the name of impurities at the time of procurement.
Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza said the anti-hoarding campaign was in full swing and action was being taken against the hoarders to discourage the trend that might contribute to inflation.
Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2026
