12/08/2026
PESHAWAR
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Farmers Wing has unveiled a comprehensive White Paper exposing the years of disastrous and inconsistent government policies that have pushed Pakistan's wheat sector into one of the gravest crises in its history, threatening national food security, devastating millions of farming families and forcing the country towards increasing dependence on imported wheat.
The white paper was unveiled by the Central Spokesperson of PTI, who is also PTI's Farmers Wing Organizer, Sheikh Waqas Akram (MNA) and Central Information Secretary of PTI Farmers Wing Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich here on Wednesday in Peshawar Press Club. Vice President PTI KW Punjab MNA Mian Ghous Muhammad, General Secretary of PTI KW Punjab Ejaz Shafi, MNA Faisal Amin GandapurMNA Mobeen Arif Jutt, Dr. Faisal Jameel MPA, Jam Aman Ullah and other PTI leaders were present on the occasion.
Shiekh Waqas Akram Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich said the White Paper is the result of extensive research covering Pakistan's wheat economy from Independence to 2026. It presents historical data, policy analysis, production trends, procurement records, support price mechanisms, import decisions, agricultural research performance, input costs and institutional failures that collectively explain the steady deterioration of the country's most strategic crop.
The White Paper says that despite possessing fertile land, an extensive irrigation system and highly experienced farmers, Pakistan has failed to achieve sustainable wheat self-sufficiency because of policy inconsistency, poor governance, delayed decision-making and the continued neglect of the agriculture sector.
It states that while wheat production reached approximately 31.43 million tonnes during 2023-24, subsequent flawed policies, uncertainty in procurement, depressed farm-gate prices and the absence of effective market intervention discouraged wheat cultivation and caused production to decline significantly. The report warns that many farmers are now abandoning wheat cultivation altogether, while others are selling fertile agricultural land and leaving farming due to mounting financial losses.
The White Paper further highlights that the cost of cultivation has increased dramatically because of unprecedented increases in fertilizer prices, diesel, electricity tariffs, irrigation expenses, seed, pesticides and labour costs, whereas farmers continue to receive prices far below the actual cost of production. This widening gap has severely damaged farm profitability and placed millions of rural livelihoods at risk.
According to the report, repeated policy reversals regarding wheat imports and exports have destabilized domestic markets, benefited influential middlemen and speculative traders, and weakened national food security. The report argues that the absence of long-term planning has repeatedly transformed Pakistan from a potential wheat exporter into a country dependent on costly imports.
The White Paper also expresses serious concern over the declining state of agricultural research and technology transfer. It notes that scientific innovations developed by Pakistan's research institutions have largely failed to reach farmers because of inadequate funding, weak extension services and institutional inefficiency. The report calls for comprehensive reforms of agricultural research organizations, stronger collaboration with provincial extension departments and increased investment in modern seed development and climate-resilient technologies.
The PTI Farmers Wing emphasized that the present crisis is not merely an agricultural issue but a national economic and security challenge. Wheat directly affects food prices, inflation, rural employment, poverty and political stability. Without immediate corrective measures, Pakistan risks facing recurring food shortages, rising flour prices and increasing dependence on foreign markets.
The White Paper proposes a comprehensive national reform agenda including Guaranteed and timely wheat procurement, Transparent support pricing directly linked to actual production costs, Elimination of cartelization, hoarding, and speculative market operations, Affordable agricultural inputs (fertilizers, diesel, power, and seed), Expansion of certified seed production and modernization of irrigation systems, Revitalization of agricultural research institutions and technology transfer, Adoption of climate-smart farming practices and strategic wheat reserves and formulation of a long-term National Food Security Policy based on scientific planning.
Speaking on the occasion, PTI Farmers Wing Organizer Sheikh Waqas Akram and Central Secretary Information Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich and other speakers said that the White Paper is not intended merely to criticize government policies but to provide practical, evidence-based solutions for rescuing Pakistan's agriculture.
PTI Farmers Wing's leaders said the former Prime Minister Imran Khan was perhaps the first and only prime minister to personally visit farmers' fields, sit with growers and directly assess their problems, particularly those related to wheat production and agricultural policy. "He had initiated work on a comprehensive National Agriculture Policy aimed at addressing structural weaknesses and putting Pakistan's agriculture on a sustainable and modern footing. However, his government was removed before the proposed reforms could be fully developed and implemented", they maintained.
"This White Paper is a wake-up call for policymakers. A nation that cannot protect its farmers cannot guarantee its food security. Pakistan possesses every natural resource required to become self-sufficient in wheat, yet repeated policy failures have brought both farmers and consumers to the brink", they mentioned saying that the time has come for a comprehensive national agricultural revival based on science, transparency, institutional reforms and policies that place farmers at the centre of national development.
The PTI Farmers Wing called upon the federal and provincial governments, parliamentarians, agricultural experts, research institutions, development partners and all political stakeholders to treat agriculture as a national priority and immediately initiate broad-based reforms to restore farmers' confidence, protect food security and secure Pakistan's economic future.
Ends/-
