MARDAN: A farmers’ body has urged the provincial government to fix the per kilogramme price of tobacco at Rs500 for the year 2023.

Members of Ittehad-i-Kashtkaran, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, made the demand while addressing a presser here on Wednesday.

The body’s president Arif Ali Khan, vice-president Dawar Khan, general secretary Asfandyar Khan and finance secretary Fazal Raziq flanked by a large number of growers said prices of agriculture inputs like seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, electricity, diesel and other related items had gone beyond the reach of poor farmers.

They also demanded that price of a 50kg wheat bag should be fixed at Rs5,000. Similarly, the price of 50kg sugarcane should be fixed as Rs400. They also asked the relevant authorities to waive off tax over export of gur.

They demanded compensation for the growers whose crops were ruined by floods. They also urged the government to carve out an insurance policy for the destroyed crops.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2022