Punjab potato surplus: farmers urge early export policy

LAHORE: Export arrangements should be finalised at the earliest to absorb Punjab’s surplus potato crop which is at least 30 million tonnes higher than last year as delays could further aggravate financial stress among farmers, stakeholders appealed to the Punjab government.

The demand was raised by President Kissan Board Pakistan Sardar Zafar Hussain Khan while addressing a meeting of the Punjab Agriculture Commission. He said potato growers across the province were facing acute economic hardship due to the absence of a clear and timely export policy, despite a sharp increase in production this season.

He stressed that formulating an export policy was the government’s responsibility whereas farmers were limited to producing agricultural commodities. “Farmers can grow crops, but opening markets and facilitating exports is the job of the state,” he remarked, adding that without immediate intervention, growers would continue to suffer losses.

Sardar Zafar Hussain Khan pointed out that trade with Afghanistan remained suspended, while alternative trade routes were available through China for accessing Russian states. He also noted that trade with Iran had effectively remained closed for the past decade, even though Tehran had now permitted the import of potatoes and kinnow, questioning the delay in reviving formal trade.

He urged the government to allow the immediate export of at least 400 containers of potatoes via Dubai to stabilize domestic prices. Failure to do so, he warned, could push farmers further into an economic quagmire with adverse consequences for the wider economy.

He added that both potato and kinnow crops were currently being sold at heavy losses, calling the situation a serious concern for policymakers and demanding urgent corrective measures.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026