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Farmers Outraged Over Meager Rs4 Billion Agriculture Budget

6/17/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Pakistan's agriculture budget faces backlash as a mere Rs4 billion is allocated for 15 schemes, despite a modest 0.56% growth. Farmers are disheartened by soaring input costs and unresolved issues like GST on cotton and machinery taxes. Experts caution that without urgent reforms, the sector's struggles will deepen in the coming year.

History

Historical Context

Following the secession of East Pakistan in 1971, the Pakistan Peoples Party, led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, nationalized key industries to address economic challenges, resulting in a poverty rate of 55%. Today, the 2025-26 federal budget's neglect of agriculture and the middle class reflects historical failures to tackle economic disparities, risking a continuation of poverty reminiscent of the early 1970s.

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Story summary

Pakistan's agriculture budget faces backlash as a mere Rs4 billion is allocated for 15 schemes, despite a modest 0.56% growth. Farmers are disheartened by soaring input costs and unresolved issues like GST on cotton and machinery taxes. Experts caution that without urgent reforms, the sector's struggles will deepen in the coming year.

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