The farmers in Potohar region have started wheat crop harvesting and threshing, as the Met Office and agricultural department have warned them to cut their crops immediately to avoid any harm from unpredictable rains in the Potohar region. The wheat crop harvesting and threshing was in full swing in the Potohar region, like other parts of the country. “The farmers are interested in harvesting their wheat crop as soon as possible to avoid any harm from the unpredictable rains in Potohar region due to the changing weather patterns. In a survey conducted by this agency, it revealed that wheat crop on 290,000 acres of land in Rawalpindi region provides around 275.26000 tons wheat every year. Currently wheat harvesting has started in all parts of the Potohar region including Phulgaran, Shah Allah Ditta, Rawat, Kallar Syedan, Lohi Bher, Kahuta, Sagri, Raqqa, Chak Beli Khan, Fatehjang, Tarnol, Golra, Gujar Khan, Chatta Bakhtawar, Sihala, Ari Syedan and Mandra.

Farmers started collection of bardana or gunny bags at the advent of the month of April from procurement centres established by the food department while the physical procurement of wheat started from a mid of the month. A prominent farmer from the Potohar Region belong to Data Bhatt village of Tehsil Gujar Khan Mr. Raja Bilal Fayyaz has viewed that Punjab government has fixed the price of wheat of Rs 3900 per 40 kilo gram which to him is very less as the actual cost of wheat from sowing to harvesting and threshing is very high. Raja Bilal has stated that currently they owned a vast land of more than 300 kanal and the real concern for the small farmers was the unprecedented rise in the cost involved in sowing and harvesting the crop, adding that these farmers were scratching their heads in limbo as affording the expenses was beyond their means.

Meanwhile wheat growers belong to Sukhoo of village Khumb Mr. Raja Asif Bashir and Raja Adil Bashir have noted that the government’s decision to hike the per-liter price of diesel at a time of harvest of cash crop expressed its apathy towards the people linked with agriculture, adding that the move significantly increased the charges of machinery including tractors, reapers, and threshers involved in the process. “Last year, the rate of wheat threshing was between Rs18,00 and Rs2,500 and this year the rate is very high, he added. It also revealed during survey that thresher owners are charging from Rs2,200 to Rs2,500 per hour.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan