New Delhi, Jan 21 (NationPress) Experts in Pakistan have criticized the surge of corporate agriculture and land acquisition, expressing concern that these governmental initiatives are uprooting farmers and privatizing crucial land and water resources, especially in the regions of Punjab and Sindh.

A report from viacampesina.org revealed the outcomes of the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee (PKRC) gathering held in Lahore, which declared a nationwide campaign against corporate agriculture, land grabbing, and the escalating agrarian crisis.

Approximately 170 representatives from 35 farming and rural worker organizations throughout Pakistan assessed the nation’s political, economic, agrarian, and environmental challenges.

They attributed the issues to “IMF-driven neoliberal strategies leading to surging input costs, decreasing farm revenues, and heightened stress on smallholder farmers and tenants,” as stated in the report.

The discussion also covered climate-related challenges, such as flooding, water shortages, and soil deterioration, with participants noting that rural communities bear the brunt of these crises.

The assembly announced plans for nationwide demonstrations on March 28, targeting corporate agriculture, land acquisition, unfair crop pricing, and the absence of a guaranteed minimum support price, among other grievances.

According to a recent analysis, Pakistan's sugar sector has transformed into a hub of political favoritism, economic exploitation, and institutional manipulation, largely influenced by politically connected families. These entities dominate both production and policymaking in a sector that once served as the backbone of the South Asian country’s agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.

The Greek publication Directus highlighted that at the root of this crisis is a well-established sugar cartel that exploits its dual position as both industrialists and lawmakers to control supply chains, distort pricing, and reap excessive profits at the expense of farmers and consumers.

The report indicated that this results in a regressive wealth transfer amounting to 610 billion Pakistani rupees annually, which is about 1.22 percent of Pakistan’s GDP, diverting funds from ordinary households into the hands of wealthy mill owners.

The sugar crisis is not merely a natural disaster but a man-made economic catastrophe stemming from elite capture, policy manipulation, and institutional shortcomings. Without transparent reforms, strong enforcement, and a political commitment to dismantling entrenched interests, Pakistan is likely to remain ensnared in a cycle of artificial shortages, inflated prices, and systemic exploitation, the report concluded.