RAWALPINDI: The prolonged closure of the Afghan border has devastated Pakistan’s agricultural sector, causing an estimated $1.5 billion in losses and leaving produce like potatoes to rot in fields, a farmers’ representative warned on Sunday.
Khalid Nawaz Sudhranch, Central Information Secretary of the PTI Kisan Wing, stated that the shutdown has blocked a vital export route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, crashing domestic prices. He revealed that the prices of oranges and other field crops have plummeted by 50 to 80 percent, with farmers failing to recoup even a third of their investment.
“Farmers across the country, especially in Punjab, are suffering under the worst conditions with no relief in sight,” Sudhranch told media after consultations with farmer organizations. He criticized the government’s approach, noting, “Seven Agriculture Secretaries have been changed, yet no clear agricultural policy has emerged.”
Citing collected data, he warned that the policy vacuum has triggered a 13.49% overall decline in agricultural production. Key staples have been hit hard: wheat production is down 8.9%, corn by 15.4%, and cotton by a catastrophic 30.7%. He further claimed that approximately 2.5 million farmers have already left the profession.
Sudhranch issued a stark warning, stating that without immediate reopening of trade routes and the formulation of a sustainable, farmer-friendly policy with fair support prices, the country risks economic devastation and severe food crises. He demanded the government move beyond “hollow announcements” and directly engage with farmers to salvage the agricultural sector from collapse.
Meanwhile the Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has declared his firm opposition to any negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), citing the party’s internal contradictions and questioning its commitment to the state.
Speaking on ARY News’ program Aabit Hai, Asif stated that sincerity was a prerequisite for dialogue, a quality he finds absent in the PTI. “For some time now, PTI has been showing different colors,” he said, noting that some members advocate for talks while others push for confrontation. He centered his criticism on the imprisoned PTI founder, Imran Khan, asserting he has “no agenda except his own” and is unwilling to provide any guarantees.
