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Farmers in Punjab are seething after what they describe as twin blows within the span of a week: the federal budget followed by the provincial one. They say neither addressed their most pressing concerns — rising production costs and market manipulation. It deepened their fears over the viability of farming as fiscal policy continues to overlook the sector’s core pressures.
At the heart of this second wave of anger is the provincial budget, which farmers say fails to acknowledge these structural constraints. On its part, Punjab this year allocated Rs92 billion specifically for agriculture as part of a broader Rs132bn package covering agriculture, livestock and fisheries. It also spared Rs61bn for irrigation. The document emphasises climate-smart farming, subsidised mechanisation and the ongoing distribution of state land to landless farmers. However, it remains silent on the two issues farmers have been agitating over the most.
This policy gap, farmers argue, is compounded by what they see as active market distortion by the state itself. Feeling increasingly unsupported, many are now arguing that the government, armed with vast financial resources and administrative power, is actively manipulating markets to their disadvantage.
