Climate change, flawed policies drive Pakistan towards food insecurity: Report

Islamabad: In recent months, farmers across Pakistan have taken to the streets in protest following the government’s decision to reduce its wheat procurement quota.

The heart of these protests lies in Sindh province, renowned for its early crop yields. However, even two months after the culmination of this year’s wheat harvest, the deadlock persists, ARY News reported.

“The government had set a fixed rate for purchasing wheat and was supposed to distribute wheat bags directly to farmers. However, some officials within the food department are allegedly selling these bags to small-scale traders in exchange for kickbacks,” revealed Akram Khaskheli, President of the Sindh-based Hari Welfare Association, in an interview with Dialogue Earth.

Khaskheli emphasised the repercussions of the government’s mismanagement, warning of potential crop losses that could exacerbate food insecurity despite the wheat being available.

The government’s significant procurement of wheat, usually around 20 per cent of production or 5.6 million tonnes, at a minimum support price plays a crucial role in ensuring market stability. However, the current crisis intertwines with climate change, thrusting Pakistan’s agricultural sector into turmoil.

This crisis traces back to the massive floods that ravaged Pakistan from July to September 2022, inundating a third of the country’s districts. A confluence of climatic factors, including a warming ocean, culminated in this extreme rainfall event, significantly impacting 15 per cent of Pakistan’s cropland, as reported by ARY News.

In areas like Johi in the Dadu district of Sindh province, the aftermath of the floods lingered for several seasons. Talib Gadehi, a forty-four-year-old farmer who owns 350 acres of agricultural land with his brothers, recounted their struggles to cultivate the land for four consecutive seasons over two years.

“The collapse of the barrage affected an estimated 100,000 acres of land, rendering it barren. This situation has triggered mass migration from the area,” Gadehi lamented.

These adverse conditions contributed to Pakistan’s descent from the 99th position on the Global Hunger Index in 2022 to the 102nd in 2023.

According to a January 2024 analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, poverty rates surged from 34 per cent in 2022 to 39 per cent in 2023, primarily due to elevated food prices, further straining vulnerable households’ purchasing power. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification reported that over 10 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity between April and October 2023.

Wheat, constituting 72 per cent of Pakistan’s staple food, plays a pivotal role in addressing food security and inflation. However, the caretaker government, installed ahead of the 2024 national elections, opted to import wheat in late 2023 to alleviate food shortages and soaring prices. Unfortunately, by the time the decision was made, the agricultural sector had rebounded, resulting in an oversupply and subsequent protests from farmers. (ANI)

Also Read: Centre’s wheat procurement in full swing, surpasses last year’s mark (sentinelassam.com)

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