With the suspension of government wheat procurement, private traders have set up operations in rural areas. These traders are purchasing wheat at rates between 1800 to 2000 rupees per maund, causing losses to the farmers. The farmers are demanding the reopening of government procurement centers.

The wheat farmers have complained that in the past, the government had established procurement centers in all districts. The Food Department staff used to buy wheat at 4000 rupees per maund, which benefited the farmers. However, now traders are buying wheat at 1800 to 2000 rupees per maund, creating difficulties for the farmers.

Forced by the need to pay off debts, farmers are selling wheat to private traders. They assert that if private procurement continues in this way, they will go bankrupt and be driven to suicide.

On Wednesday, farmers Aftab Ahmed Bhambhro, Muhammad Saleh Bhambhro, Muhammad Yousuf Tanwari, Abdul Qadir Memon, Muhammad Alam Dahiri, and others reached Khairpur from Rasulabad, Hangurja, Sobhodero, and other areas to appeal to journalists to convey their plight to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. They urged the Chief Minister to urgently open government wheat procurement centers to protect farmers from the exploitation of private traders.