Balochistan: Farmers slam govt over solarisation funds, warn of crisis

Quetta [Pakistan], August 17 (ANI): Farmers in Balochistan have slammed the provincial government for failing to release promised funds for the solarisation of agricultural tube wells in Nasirabad Division, the province's only green belt, Dawn reported.
At a press conference on Saturday, Kissan Ittehad Pakistan (KIP) Chairman Khalid Hussain Bathh said that the disconnection of electricity supply has rendered tube wells non-functional, leaving crops to dry up and farmers to suffer heavy financial losses. He noted that despite pledges, the approved amount for solarisation has not been released, Dawn noted.
Dawn quoted Khalid as saying that before any payments were made, electricity connections were cut and supply was shifted from three-phase to two-phase. As a result, tube wells remain idle, and with no water reaching the Rabi Canal, agriculture, livestock, and surrounding communities are suffering acute distress.
The KIP chairman added that the shortage of irrigation water has already destroyed crops, while drinking water is also becoming scarce. Farmers had cultivated fields on the assurance of the provincial irrigation minister, but the shortage of water meant their seeds were wasted, according to Dawn.
He also criticised the government for failing to launch any developmental initiatives such as skill development centres, agricultural workshops, or programmes for women farmers who work alongside men in the fields. Khalid urged authorities to introduce a solar energy scheme for farmers in the Rabi Canal, Nari, and Bolan areas, where irrigation currently depends on expensive diesel generators, Dawn reported.
In June, the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI) issued a stark warning about a deepening agricultural crisis that has plagued the country since May 2024, causing unprecedented financial losses for farmers and triggering a sharp decline in Pakistan's vital agricultural sector, Dawn reported.
"The agricultural sector, the backbone of our economy, is teetering on the brink," Dawn quoted PKI President Khalid Mahmood Khokhar as saying.
According to Dawn, the PKI recommended abolishing any further tax burden on the sector, stressing that it cannot absorb additional levies such as General Sales Tax (GST) or Federal Excise Duty (FED). The farmers' body also urged the government to immediately announce support or indicative prices for all crops to prevent the exploitation of farmers.
It further demanded the establishment of a robust, efficient, and transparent commodity pricing mechanism to stabilise the agricultural market and safeguard farmers' livelihoods, Dawn reported. (ANI)