Drought and IMF restrictions on wheat procurement pose serious threat to Pakistani farmers’ economy Khalid Ijaz Qureshi

KARACHI (Staff Reporter) Drought and restrictions on wheat procurement by the IMF pose a serious threat to the economy of Pakistani farmers, Khalid Ijaz Qureshi, senior vice president of Pakistan Agriculture and Horticulture Forum, said in a statement. He said experts and Pakistan Agriculture and Horticulture Forum predict a 5-10% reduction in wheat production annually if dry spells are linked to climate change patterns, but government support programs are limited. Unusually dry weather in Pakistan poses a threat to crop production. According to Pakistan Meteorological Department’s PMD, the critical rabi season October to March has recorded below-normal rainfall in major wheat-producing regions such as Punjab and Sindh the areas that contribute a lot to the national wheat production. 350-500 mm of water is required. A 10 to 15 percent reduction in water availability can affect production by 25 percent. Khalid Ijaz Qureshi said that in the year 2023, the Food Department of Punjab procured about 4.5 million metric tonnes, but the plan was stopped in 2024 due to IMF conditions, after which without government procurement, farmers are forced to sell in open markets where prices are below cost due to middlemen and oversupply, while market prices in many areas in 2023-24 were 3,900 per kg. The support price of 40 kg has come down, which may create serious problems for the farmers