LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has written a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging immediate measures to increase potato exports and provide relief to farmers facing market pressures.

In the letter, the chief minister stressed the need for accelerating exports through the National Logistics Corporation and requested the removal of bottlenecks hindering the export process.

She also appealed for a special 25 per cent reduction in freight charges to make Pakistani potatoes more competitive in international markets.

The CM further called for facilitation in export documentation and sought federal support to expand market access, particularly in the European Union, Africa and the United States.

She said that the proposed measures would help stabilise prices, increase farmers’ profits and strengthen Pakistan’s agricultural exports.

Punjab’s potato-growing belt is heading towards a severe economic shock due to production surplus, stagnant domestic demand and shrunk exports, prompting farmers and experts to call for urgent government intervention through subsidies and exports.

The potato belt of the province includes Sahiwal, Okara, Pakpattan, Kasur and adjoining districts where stakeholders, including farmers, say that the market has crashed even before the complete arrival of the new crop. Wholesale prices of potato have fallen well below the production costs, forcing some farmers to plough their fields, destroying their crop to avoid further losses.

Farmers in districts of Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Kasur, Khanewal and Vehari say they are facing massive losses as a 60kg bag of potato from the cold storage is selling for only Rs600-700 in the open market while its transportation cost is Rs400.

Many farmers are unable to sell their produce from the cold storage and potato traders are reluctant to release their stocks from cold storage.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2026