With the onset of rains, which are a recurrent challenge for farmers in the harvesting season of wheat, discontent is on the rise, amplified by the delays in wheat procurement by the government. While on one hand, the government tried to increase the wheat procurement target, the combination of reduced market prices for wheat and the decreased procurement by the government places a heavy burden on the farmers leading to widespread protests.

As the wheat procurement issue gains momentum, many MPS and MNAs have expressed concerns over this issue proving that this is a genuine problem putting an economic strain on the farmers. However, the use of police force to crackdown on these protests, with widespread arrests of farmers who were protesting outside the Punjab Assembly in Lahore has aggravated the situation. The president of Kashtar Foundation Punjab has been arrested and the police have intensified vehicle checks at interchanges on motorway M-3 and M-4 to prevent farmers from joining a protest in Lahore. The demands of the farmers are justified and the failure to address them reflects poorly on the government’s initial promise of wheat procurement.

It is important to understand that forcibly cracking down on the protests will only exacerbate this issue. This is not the time to use force to silence the genuine concerns of the people. The government needs to have a dialogue with the farmers explaining the delay in the purchase of wheat. Their qualms must be addressed diligently.

Moving forward, the government must tread carefully and realise that antagonizing PML-N’s voter base in rural agricultural Punjab, which consists largely of farmers affected by the crisis, could have serious consequences for PML-N. It could lose the support of this voter base under these circumstances.

Given the genuine grievances of farmers and the bipartisan recognition of the issue, there is a pressing need to find viable solutions. This may consist of shifting to the usage of climate-resistant wheat varieties to counter food insecurity. Instead of wasting time and resources on cracking down these protests, the government must focus on addressing the root cause of this rising discontentment.

Negotiating with the farmers seems to be the main route through which these protests can be brought to an end. Farmers must be fairly compensated for their efforts and the government needs to deliver on its promises to effectively resolve the wheat crisis.