RAHIM YAR KHAN, April 30: Farmers are facing difficulties in selling their wheat crop in the district. The food department delayed the purchase of wheat allegedly to benefit flour millowners and some influential traders of the grain market. It started procurement on April 20 while last year the same practice was launched on April 1.

This year wheat was cultivated on 780,000 acres in the district. The average yield per acre is 25 to 30 maunds this year. The farmers say that rain and temperature fluctuations before the grain maturity is the main reason of the poor yield.

This year farmers are facing many problems to sell their crop at the procurement centres of food department and passco. Only those farmers can sell their wheat who are provided with bags from these centres.

Small farmers cannot store their crop for a longer period due to their financial needs so they have sold their harvest at low rates in open market which is bought by some influential traders and flour millers at the rate of Rs370 to 390 per 40 kg.