Pakistan Kissan Ittehad Demands National Agricultural Emergency Over Rising Farming Crisis

PothikTV News Desk: 18 October 2026, 8:04 am

Pakistan Kissan Ittehad President Khalid Mahmood Khokhar has demanded that the government immediately declare an agricultural emergency in the country to protect struggling farmers and address systemic issues in the farming sector.

Speaking at a press conference in Multan, Khokhar criticized the government for failing to make timely policy decisions. He emphasized that when a single crop season suffers a financial loss, it directly impacts the subsequent three crops, leading to a continuous decline in Pakistan’s agricultural output.

The agricultural leader demanded that farmers be guaranteed a 25 percent profit margin over their total cost of production. He expressed frustration that growers are routinely denied fair prices for their produce under the pretext of conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund.

Addressing the current wheat crisis, Khokhar noted that the general public is struggling to obtain wheat despite the government setting the price at 4,500 rupees per maund. He stated that farmers will only be motivated to cultivate wheat if they receive fair and profitable rates for their yield.

Khokhar also highlighted severe issues facing sugarcane growers, stating that farmers have yet to receive payments for their sugarcane crops. This delay comes despite a 16 percent increase in sugarcane production this year, marking the highest cultivation volume in the country’s history.

He pointed out that sugarcane farmers are suffering from immense anxiety and sleepless nights due to delayed payments and poor official planning. He recalled that sugarcane growers faced similar exploitation in 2017 when unnecessary delays in exporting surplus sugar caused massive financial losses to farmers before exports were eventually allowed.

The Kissan Ittehad president lamented that politics continues to dominate Pakistan’s agricultural sector while rulers exploit flour supply issues for political gains. He contrasted this with global trends, noting that countries worldwide now prioritize food security above all else and provide heavy subsidies to support their agricultural sectors.