‘We don’t want charity’: Farmers reject Kisan Package, demand fair price

Major farmers’ associations have categorically rejected the recently announced Rs15 billion “Kisan Package” by the Punjab Chief Minister, describing it as an act of charity rather than a genuine effort to address the agricultural crisis.

Speaking at a press conference in Multan, Pakistan Kisan Ittehad President Khalid Khokhar said the package was a mockery of farmers’ struggles and failed to reflect the scale of their losses.

“By announcing Rs15 billion, the government has ridiculed the farming community,” Khokhar said. “We do not want subsidies or charity. What we demand is fair compensation for our labor. Farmers are not even receiving the government-declared wheat support price.”

He warned that if the situation does not improve, farmers may boycott wheat cultivation next year. Highlighting the devastating impact of climate change, Khokhar said farmers were bearing losses in the trillions and were being pushed toward extreme measures, including suicide. Cotton farmers, he added, were also facing severe distress after being encouraged by the government to cultivate the crop.

Khokhar criticized the Electronic Warehouse Receipt (EWR) system, calling it a burden on small farmers. “These European-style systems cannot be imposed without European-level support. Small farmers are caught in bureaucratic red tape while elites benefit,” he said.

He emphasized that only a fair support price—calculated by agricultural experts to include a 25 percent profit margin—could secure farmers’ livelihoods. He also warned that the government’s focus on storage facilities favored wealthy stockists, while ordinary farmers lacked the capital to store crops and withstand market fluctuations.