Heavy rains: Farmers demand govt raise cotton subsidy

Threaten to stop growing wheat, vegetables and cotton.

KHANEWAL/ VEHARI:

Farmers in Khanpur, Vehari, Khanewal and Kot Chattha staged protests on Tuesday and Wednesday, demanding that the government increase the subsidy provided to cotton growers.

Some threatened to stop supplying staple food, vegetables, fruits and milk to the markets in the city. Others warned they would stop sowing wheat, vegetables and cotton.

On Wednesday, a group of farmers from Liaquatpur tehsil appealed that the government fix the per maund price of cotton as Rs5,000.

They said the increase in price would help them recover the losses they had suffered because of the heavy rains this season. Tarinda Muhammad Pannah farmers also claimed that their cotton crop was damaged as a result of heavy rains in the area. Office bearers of Kissan Council Sardargarh said most of this year’s cotton crop had been damaged because of monsoon rains. Whatever is left, they said, was being purchased at a very low price.

In Vehari, the Pakistan Kisan Council organised a protest during which the Vehari Road was blocked and later the Wapda Complex surrounded. The protesters also set fire to bales of cotton. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Ijaz Bandesha and Kissan Ittehad Council Vehari president Chaudhry Iftikhar Ali led the protest.

The protesters marched to the DCO’s office after failed attempts to enter the Wapda Complex. When DCO Ehsan Bhutta came to talk to the farmers, they demanded that the government fix the price of a maund of cotton (40 kilograms) at Rs5,000 instead of the current rate, Rs1,700.

They said they would stop supplying vegetables, fruits, milk and food grains if the price were not revised.

The protesters dispersed after Bhutta said he would convey their demands to the government.

Khanewal protesters also set fire to bales of cotton and electricity bills to protest the “low subsidy currently offered by the government”. Kissan Ittehad leader Tariq Chaudhry, in his address, demanded that the government increase the subsidy to Rs5,000 per maund, warning that the farmers would start a civil disobedience movement if it didn’t. Chaudhry announced that the farmers would block the National Highway on October 11 so that the government takes notice of their demands. He also asked the farmers to be prepared for a Long March to Islamabad.

Following Chaudhry’s speech, three Kisan Ittehad leaders promised to donate a total of Rs800,000 for the long march. Malik Ibrar pledged Rs500,000, Chadry Imtiaz Rs200,000 and Khurram Shehzad Rs100,000.

In Kot Chattha, farmers surrounded the DCO’s office after protesting for an hour on the Indus Highway. They threatened to stop sowing cotton, wheat and vegetables if their demand for an higher support price was not accepted. – WITH INPUT FROM APP

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2012.