JHANG: The Jhang Kissan Conference convened in northern Punjab, attracting thousands of small farmers, peasants, agricultural workers, women, and youth from across the country to rally for a Minimum Support Price (MSP) and to advocate for an end to corporate farming practices.

Organized by the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee (PKRC), the event served as a platform for diverse farmer movements, trade unions, and social organizations to address the pressing issues faced by the agricultural community. Participants from various regions of Punjab and Sindh gathered to voice their concerns over government policies perceived as harmful to small farmers and peasants.

During the conference, a unanimous resolution was passed, condemning the government’s current agricultural policies and demanding comprehensive agrarian reforms. Among the key proposals was the redistribution of large public and private estates to small farmers and landless rural communities.

Farooq Tariq, General Secretary of PKRC, criticized the government’s approach, asserting that anti-farmer policies driven by the neo-liberal economic framework under the IMF and World Bank are undermining farmers’ livelihoods. “The government is transferring control of agriculture and food systems to military and transnational agribusiness companies, with plans to seize millions of hectares of land from farmers under the guise of corporate farming,” he stated.

Dr. Dildar Laghri of the Sindh Hari Tahreek highlighted alarming developments regarding the Green Pakistan Initiative, warning that the government aims to appropriate approximately 4.8 million acres of land for corporate farming. “This land grab exceeds the size of Jamaica and represents 9.5% of Punjab’s total land area,” he emphasized.

Lateef Ansari, President of the Haqooq Khalq party Punjab, rallied attendees to unite against threats to their ancestral lands. “We cannot allow our source of livelihood and identity to be taken from us. Corporate farming will only lead to exploitation and displacement. It is time we raise our voices for our rights and our future,” he urged.

Noor Khan Baloch, a PKRC member from Jhang, warned that corporate farming would displace small farmers, making it difficult for them to compete with large agribusinesses. He underscored that such concentration of land ownership would further diminish employment opportunities in rural areas.

Women leader Riffat Maqsood condemned Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for labeling farmers as “mafia.” “We demand a public apology for this disrespectful characterization. We will not be silenced or intimidated; we will unite to advocate for our rights and those of future generations,” she asserted.

The PKRC announced a detailed program for agrarian reforms, encompassing 23 specific demands, alongside a commitment to launch a series of campaigns focused on small farmers’ rights, land reforms, and climate justice.

Key Demands from the Conference Include:

• Immediate end to corporate farming and distribution of government and private estate lands among peasants, small farmers, and landless rural residents.
• Establishment of a Minimum Support Price for key crops, including wheat, cotton, sugarcane, rice, and maize, with a commitment to government procurement of wheat directly from farmers.
• Abolishment of policies that permit the private sector to import and dump grain, which undermines local farmers’ prices.
• Regulation of markets to ensure fair pricing for farmers’ produce.
• Termination of neoliberal policies dictated by the IMF and WTO that negatively impact small farmers.
• Restructuring of the irrigation system to provide adequate water resources to small farmers, particularly in drought-prone areas.
• Setting electricity rates for small farmers at Rs 10 per unit.

The conference concluded with a call for unity and solidarity among farmers, reinforcing the critical need for agrarian reform and the protection of rural livelihoods.