BAHAWALPUR, May 4: Wheat growers organised a demonstration here on Thursday to protest the official procurement policy. Sponsored by the Kissan Board, the demonstration was led by its provincial president Khurshead Kanjoo and was attended by a large number of farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, Kanjoo and other speakers bitterly criticised the food department and government for ‘inadequate’ procurement arrangements which had caused the decline of wheat price in the market.

They said the revision of procurement target by the Punjab government was too late to lift the market. Small growers, they said, had already sold their crop at throwaway price to middlemen.

According to them, in order to compensate the farmers the government should announce Rs 1,500 per 40kg support price for phutti.