Kissan Ittehad chairman Khalid Hussain Bath has said that the farmers will stage at sit-in on April 19 over low wheat support prices, ARY News reported.
Speaking during his appearance on ARY News show “The Reporters”, the farmers’ leader revealed that the government has imported wheat worth $2.2 million which has not been used yet.
Meanwhile, he said that the local growers were unable to sell their crops.
According to him, the government instead of purchasing wheat from the local growers in Punjab, imported the commodity.
Read more: Farmers’ body withdraws protest call after talks with Punjab govt
He lamented the fact that the farmers had stocks of wheat with no buyers while the flour mills were buying wheat for Rs3000 per 40kg bag.
Khalid Hussain Bath also decried the rising fuel prices that have further increased the challenges for the farmers, saying that they are unable to recover the expense of cutting wheat crops through thrasher due to the hiked price of diesel.
He alleged that the government officials were misinforming Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz regarding the issues faced by the farmers and growers in the province.
The government was ignoring the plight of the farmers, he said, adding that they would be sent back without a meeting with the Punjab chief minister.
On April 11, Kissan Ittehad withdrew from a planned protest after successful negotiations with the Punjab government.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani held a meeting with a 10-member delegation of the farmers’ body where the two sides discussed issues faced by the farmers in the province.
The provincial minister met the community leaders and formed a joint investigation committee (JIT) aimed at resolving issues faced by the farmers.
During the meeting, the minister assured the farmers’ leaders of conducting an inquiry into the import of wheat during the previous caretaker government.
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