A present day farmer is struggling to eke out an existence, even though ironically he is the one who feeds the society at large. This is a poor reflection on the state where agriculture is the mainstay of economy. Consequently, a trend of migration to urban areas is picking up pace given the harsh circumstances that revolve around their lives like an albatross; loadshedding and water shortage are turning out to be the last nail in the coffin of agriculture.
Wheat being one of the main crops that makes up for the food basket, the troubles faced by the farmers is badly affecting the overall food supply. A meeting chaired by Caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi seemed cognisant of these problems while finalising the wheat procurement policy agreeing to set the target at 40 lakh tonnes, set to commence from April 29. It was good to note that he was particularly concerned about a longstanding issue faced by the farmers relating to shortage of gunny bags. Often times this results in wastage of harvest. The CM also gave the assurance that the procurement would be done in a transparent manner and that the middleman would be dealt with harshly. Still, special attention would be needed to ensure that things go exactly as planned. The farmers, once they have supplied the harvest are paid on time. And last but not the least, the government also has to stand ready; there should be enough storage facilities in order to stock the wheat.