Sindh launches Rs58bn Wheat Growers Support Policy

Over 411,000 farmers to receive subsidised fertilisers under Bilawal's initiative

KARACHI:

Sindh Minister for Agriculture Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar has unveiled the Wheat Growers Support Policy, terming it a "historic initiative" to provide immediate relief to small-scale wheat farmers. The policy aims to support farmers owning between one and 25 acres of land, with the government allocating Rs58 billion for the scheme.

Under the package, 411,000 farmers will receive fertilizer and urea to cultivate 2.26 million acres of wheat across Sindh. Each farmer will be given Rs24,700 worth of inputs per acre. Registration will be carried out through the Benazir Hari Card database, CNICs, and land revenue records, with committees set up at provincial, district, and local levels to monitor the process.

According to Mahar, distribution of DAP fertilizer will be completed by November 2025, while two additional bags of urea will be provided after January 20, 2026, following verification of cultivation. To ensure smooth implementation, agricultural officers' leaves have been cancelled for 90 days and offices will remain open on Saturdays.

He said these steps were being taken under the directives of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, adding that Sindh remains the only province providing consistent subsidies to farmers despite IMF restrictions.

Meanwhile, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, addressing a press conference, said the policy would bring relief not only to farmers but also to laborers and the poor. He recalled that under President Asif Ali Zardari's leadership in 2008, Pakistan became a wheat exporter after adopting a farmer-focused policy.

Memon emphasized that subsidizing local farmers was essential for food security, warning that failure to support them could force the country to rely on costly wheat imports.

He said fertilizer bags under the scheme would be marked "not for sale" to prevent misuse, and violators would face a five-year ban from future concessions. Companies breaching rules would be blacklisted, with strict action against officials involved in mismanagement. An online control center will also monitor the program.