The agriculture income tax could be to the extent of 45 per cent; what will farmers do since they already do not have support price? If 2025 is a repeat of 2024, small farmers may face bankruptcy, and if agricultural incomes shrink, then our economy will be hit.

There is no good news for the wheat crop in 2025; under the pretext of IMF’s guidelines, we are told that crops’ support prices will not be announced. The same goes for the sugarcane crop of 2024-25. It seems the sugar mafia will dominate the scene. Furthermore, water shortage may affect the farm sector again in 2025 as there is talk of new canal projects that may undermine Sindh’s water sector.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, December 30th, 2024