When crops become a burden instead of a blessing, farmers are left with few choices.
In an incident, a farmer in Shakargarh’s vegetable market gave away cauliflowers for free after its price plummeted to just Rs50 per maund.
Earlier, Mudasir, a farmer in Punjab, went viral after distributing 50 maunds of cauliflower free of cost when the market price dropped to Rs2 per kilogram following a bumper crop. He explained that even the basic cultivation costs, estimated at Rs30,000 to Rs40,000, could not be recovered.
The farmer in Shakargarh distributed over a maund of cauliflower, along with free cold drinks, sparking a rush as citizens eagerly filled their bags. Frustrated by the unstable market prices, he urged authorities to stabilize vegetable market rates, drawing attention to the financial challenges faced by farmers.
Vegetable prices across Punjab have plunged to Rs2-10 per kilogram in wholesale markets over the past week, leaving farmers unable to recover costs. The oversupply from bumper crops and low demand have enabled middlemen to offer unfair prices, forcing growers to take drastic measures.
The agriculture sector’s failure to capitalize on bumper crops has left farmers struggling to make ends meet. Many, like Mudasir, have called for government intervention, including tax relief on fertilizers and electricity, to alleviate the financial burden on growers.
The plight of these farmers underscores the urgent need for systemic reforms to protect agriculture—the backbone of Pakistan’s economy—from crumbling under market volatility.