He Feeds A Nation, Yet Struggles To Feed Himself
Asem Mustafa Awan
Islamabad: The field is wide. The earth is prepared. The lines on the land show the discipline of generations that have worked with soil, seasons and uncertainty.
In the middle of it stands an elderly farmer, holding a simple worn-out agricultural tool, continuing a routine that has defined his entire life.
There is no machinery around him. No modern equipment. No signs of comfort. Only an ageing man, a small piece of land and a determination that refuses to disappear.
His clothes carry the story before his words ever could. His worn slippers and tired posture reveal a reality often hidden behind official statements and policy announcements. The farmer, who remains the backbone of an agricultural nation, is still fighting the oldest battle of all — making sure tomorrow arrives.
Pakistan’s fields have always depended on such hands. The hands that sow. The hands that harvest.
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The hands that work under the sun while others discuss agriculture in air-conditioned offices.
Yet this image raises an uncomfortable question. If agriculture is the foundation of the country’s economy, why do so many farmers continue to struggle for basic security?
The answer lies somewhere between policy and practice. Support packages, subsidies and reforms may exist on paper, but the impact is measured in the lives of those standing in the fields. For many small farmers, survival depends not on announcements but on the reality of access, resources and fair opportunities.
This farmer’s face carries decades of labour. Every line tells a story of seasons endured, crops hoped for and hardships silently accepted.
He is not asking for sympathy. He is asking for recognition.
The world has moved towards modern farming techniques, technology and better protection for those who produce food. But for many farmers, the struggle remains painfully traditional — an ageing body working the land because stopping is not an option.
A country that depends on its farmers cannot afford to let them become invisible.
Because behind every meal on a table is someone like him. Someone who wakes before sunrise. Someone who works until exhaustion.
Someone who keeps the land alive, even when life has become a struggle. This picture is not only about one farmer in Faisalabad.
It is about every hand that feeds a nation but still waits for its own share of security and dignity.
PHOTO: APP
Asem Mustafa Awan has extensive reporting experience with leading national and international media organizations. He has also contributed to reference books such as the Alpine Journal and the American Alpine Journal, among other international publications.
The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.
