Financial problems of wheat farmers

The month of April is the lucky month for the farmers of our country, when almost the entire wheat crop is cut and ready. The farmer considers the grain to be a nugget of gold and wraps it up. Earlier, it used to happen that as soon as the harvest was ready, the thresher machine started working in the fields, the wheat piled up.

Now the farmer has to pay the loans of many people. Throughout the years, he had received free services from many people and used to receive many items. Somewhere he used to get his shoes repaired by a cobbler, get his agricultural implements fixed by a blacksmith, barber would also attend because he used to cut the hair of farmer’s children.

Ustad ji’s part too because he also taught the children. In many places, in front of the mosque, the Imam, Khadim and Qari were separated and delivered to their homes. Thus many individuals were given their share of the wheat heap in return for their services. What happened now was that the rest of the wheat was full of blessings and the rest of the wheat was filled in sacks and stored at home.

No fear of damage, no fear of theft, no concern of getting a low rate. From time to time, as needed, they took the grain to the local market and sold the wheat. Buy everything you need from the bazaar located next to the market of the town. Then the population started increasing and the ration card system was also abolished from across the country.

Earlier there was a ration card system. A ration card was maintained in every house. In which the number of people in the house was recorded, then flour, sugar etc. were easily available according to the same. There was no shortage of flour, nor was it artificially reduced. No fear of rate increase. The government also did not fear that the flour would suddenly disappear.

It happened in March 1997 that the dough completely disappeared. Until February 1997, flour was available at three and a half rupees per kg, so when flour returned after its disappearance, the rates had doubled. Then it was taken into consideration how much wheat is being produced in the country and how much will be consumed. If necessary, how much would be required to be imported or how much surplus production should be exported, so after making calculations, a certain amount would be exported if deemed appropriate.

There was also a year in the last decade when wheat was exported in large quantities. Then it was said that the calculation was wrong, so what happened now? What happened was that at first probably 2 million tons of wheat were exported at cheap prices. Then after some time it was imported at high prices.

Who benefited, obviously, both the importer and the exporter are the same, that is, the elite, the investors. Now tell me, in a country where factories are closing down, electricity is becoming expensive, there is a problem of law and order, water has to be bought, what will the industrialist do? Whose factories were closed, one would invest through real estate, one would store wheat, sugar, ghee, fertilizer and many other commodities and then sell them at high prices or earn profit through import and export. How the elite earn crores of rupees, the poor people are left to watch.

The government is saying that the wheat crisis arose because procurement and storage problems arose because over 1 million metric tonnes of wheat were imported. Why didn’t the new government fix it in March itself? According to the PBS report, 691 thousand 136 metric tons of wheat were imported in March 2024, on which 57 billion 192 million rupees were spent.

Now look at the second most important data i.e. 34 lakh 49 thousand 436 metric tons of wheat was imported in these 9 months from July to March 2024, while only 25 lakh 31 thousand 425 metric tons of wheat was imported during the same period of the previous financial year. was taken That is, about 9 lakh metric tons of wheat was imported in excess.

Compared to 9 months of the previous financial year, the government would have thought that due to the tough decisions taken by the caretaker government, there has been some reduction in wheat smuggling. Flour rates are also so high that no one will stock in junk, as flour (milled) was available at Rs 160 per kg. Then the new crop is ready, the wheat crop in Sindh was also in the market. Then what was the need to import 7 lakh metric tons of wheat in March 2024?

On which more than 57 billion was spent. The Sindh government says that the purchase is also being done by them, while the people of KP say that we are buying wheat from the farmer at the rate of Rs. So far wheat is not being bought on a per maund basis nor are private individuals or investors or traders or farmers buying wheat at fixed prices.

Due to the rains in the past few days, moisture is being found in the wheat of some areas and this type of wet wheat is being bought in the grain markets for 2900 to 3000 rupees per maund. While wheat of better quality is being bought at 3200 to 3350 rupees per maund. Now the most harmful effects of all these things will start showing from November this year when the farmers will reduce the cultivation of wheat. The Punjab government has shown some negligence in this regard, the negative effects of which will be felt by the whole of Pakistan next year.

A drop in wheat crop production, massive hoarding of wheat, the entire wheat market will come under the control of mafias. Now the solution of all these problems should be found by the farmer himself. Build warehouses on your own and arrange for them if possible. In some places, it has been seen that a room of the house, a sitting room i.e. drawing room etc. is temporarily used to store wheat.

Apart from this, keeping wheat and protecting it from rain or other necessary measures have to be done by themselves or they can do it together.

All the investigations being carried out by the government, all of them are currently in place, the farmer is hanging, getting destroyed, suffering from financial problems, his problems should be treated today. To save Kisan Hari from further loss, the government should immediately announce such measures which can really and truly provide relief to the farmers and remove their financial problems. Their financial problems can be solved immediately.