ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Kissan (Farmers) Wing on Saturday termed the federal budget 2026-27 anti-farmer, anti-agriculture, and disappointing for the rural economy which is facing multiple challenges.
The wing leadership claimed that agricultural loans, specific subsidies and the hollow incentives announced in the budget cannot serve as a substitute for a comprehensive agricultural policy. The data presented in the Economic Survey contained several contradictions.
The wing’s Information Secretary Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich said this while speaking to a hurriedly-called news conference here along with Senior Vice President of the wing and MNA Mian Ghous, MNA Khurram Shehzad Virk, Central President Punjab Farmers Wing and MNA Awais Jhakkar, MNA Brigadier (retd) Aslam Ghuman, and MNA Dr Azeem-ud-Din Lakhvi.
It was pointed out that rural youths are rapidly moving away from agriculture, while the budget includes no effective plan for Aggrotech, a Startup Fund, or modern agricultural financing. They were of the view that despite claims of increasing agricultural exports, no serious attention has been given to cold chain systems, Global GAP certification, MRL standards, and export infrastructure.
“The government is trying to hide the weaknesses of the agriculture sector behind the relatively better performance of livestock. The current budget does not present any comprehensive strategy for providing relief to farmers, increasing agricultural productivity, creating rural employment, or boosting agricultural exports,” they stressed.
The wing leaders termed the proposed facilities in the federal budget mere “lollipops”, stating that no clear, large-scale, and direct relief has been provided for farmers in fertilizers, seeds, diesel, electricity, agricultural tube wells, machinery, cotton, wheat, rice, and livestock sectors. They pointed out that agricultural growth for 2024-25 was first shown as 0.56 per cent and later revised to 1.53 per cent, and they questioned why this change was made and demanded clarification from the government.
It was noted that only two years ago, the agriculture sector was achieving a growth rate of over 6 per cent, while major crops were growing at around 17 per cent. “Today, this growth rate has fallen to only 0.65 per cent.
