Farmers Urge Revival of PESSCO to Secure Government Crop Purchases

A core demand of the protests is the immediate restoration of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PESSCO). Activists argue that a functional PESSCO would provide a reliable government‑to‑farmer purchase mechanism, shielding small producers from exploitation by middlemen and large trading houses. PKRC chairperson Tariq Mahmood and secretary‑general Rifaat Maqsud warned that without state‑run procurement, farmers risk losing both income and bargaining power.