When the report was published by Dawn London, Punjab government spokesperson Uzma Bukhari denied it
Asif Kayani Dawn TV + Daily Dawn
ISLAMABAD: The IMF imposed yet another major condition, barring the federal and provincial governments from fixing support prices for all crops, including wheat and sugarcane.
This condition will affect the cash crops of wheat, sugarcane, and cotton, while due to restrictions on subsidizing fertilizers, farmers will have to buy expensive imported fertilizers. The implementation of the restrictions will begin from the current crop (Kharif season), which will have to be completed by June 2026.
The IMF has also imposed conditions on the provincial governments that they will not give any subsidy on electricity and gas during the IMF program (37 months).
Earlier, when the report was published by Dawn London, Punjab government spokesperson Uzma Bukhari denied it, sources say that according to the IMF conditions, the provincial governments will not set the support price of sugarcane and neither will the mills. will be able to say about starting the crushing season.
Mill owners blame expensive sugarcane as the reason for the high sugar production. Last season, the government fixed the sugarcane price at Rs 425 per maund, but the mills bought it at Rs 425 to Rs 480 per maund.
It should be noted that the Executive Board of the IMF has not yet approved the program for Pakistan, but has not only imposed the conditions but also wants to implement them. As it does for special areas like Baltistan, the IMF has also directed this limited purchase at market price.
