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LAHORE, Mar 12 (APP):Punjab Minister for Agriculture & Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani chaired a meeting at Agriculture House Lahore to finalise proposals for agricultural development projects in the 2025-26 budget.
The meeting reviewed various initiatives, including the Transforming Agriculture Punjab programme, CM Punjab High-Tech Mechanisation Bank Financing programme and CM Punjab Initiatives. Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo was also present.
Minister Kirmani said that the Punjab chief minister is committed to promoting agricultural mechanisation, with Rs. 35 billion in financing planned for the next two years. Farmers and service providers will receive interest-free agricultural loans up to Rs. 50 million per person through banks, he added. Kirmani said the scheme will primarily benefit small service providers who own two or three old agricultural machines by providing them with a new machine. The minister instructed the Agriculture Department’s field wing to coordinate with service providers at the divisional level to educate them about the scheme’s benefits. The programme will be launched as a pilot project in the next fiscal year’s budget. If farmers and service providers show interest, its scope will be expanded further, added minister.
The agriculture minister emphasised the mandatory registration of all agricultural machinery dealers in Punjab. He said in the second phase of the Kisan Card scheme, small and medium-scale farmers with up to 25 acres of land will be included. The per-acre loan limit will be increased to Rs. 40,000, and processing fees will be reduced to maximise farmer participation. He added a total of Rs. 75 billion will be allocated for this initiative. Farmers will also have access to fertilisers, seeds, agricultural medicines, and diesel purchases under the scheme.
Under CM Punjab Green Tractor Programme Phase 1, 8,300 out of 9,500 selected farmers have already received tractors, with the remaining to be delivered by March 31. In Phase 2, 9,500 tractors ranging from 60 to 85 horsepower will be distributed in the next fiscal year, he mentioned.
For the Solarisation of Agricultural Tube Wells Programme, 8,000 farmers have received allocation letters through a digital lottery and 12 service & supply companies are onboard for the project, and Phase 2 proposals are under consideration.
The agriculture minister said the construction of four Model Agriculture Malls in Punjab is nearing completion, with Sahiwal’s mall set to be finished by April 15. The government also plans to construct 10 more Model Agriculture Malls in the next fiscal year.
Under the CM Punjab “Grow More Wheat” Programme, 21,500 farmers have undergone physical verification for 1,000 tractors, with the final selection to be made via digital lottery this month.
The minister mentioned that the CM Punjab Smog Control Programme has successfully delivered 1,000 Super Seeders to farmers and in Phase 2, 2,000 farmers have already received allotment letters, and an additional 5,000 Super Seeders will be provided in the next fiscal year. Additionally, 2,000 agricultural graduates will be recruited for internships in the upcoming budget. The final approval for all projects will be granted by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Kirmani added.
Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo emphasised that modern agricultural machinery is essential for achieving production targets. Under the CM Punjab High-Tech Mechanization Programme, 10 types of machinery will be made available for rental through service providers, promoting agricultural mechanization in the province.
The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Agriculture Agha Nabeel Akhtar, Additional Secretary Agriculture (Planning) Captain (retd) Waqas Rasheed, Directors General of Agriculture Naveed Asmat Kahloon, Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, Sajid, representatives of the Bank of Punjab, and other officials.