Web Desk; The Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has announced a series of measures to support farmers, including the establishment of the province’s first “Apna Kisan Bank”, subsidized agricultural loans and additional financial assistance for fertilizer purchases.
The CM made these announcements during a meeting with representatives of small, medium and large-scale farmers from across Punjab, which the chief minister dedicated to the farming community on her birthday.
Maryam Nawaz announced that farmers borrowing up to Rs.10 million through the ‘PAVET’ will be eligible for interest-free financing.
Loans of up to Rs.30 million will carry an interest rate of 2 percent, while those of up to Rs.50 million will be subject to a 5 percent interest rate.
The chief minister also announced an increase of Rs.3,500 per acre in the loan facility available through the ‘Kisan Card’ for the purchase of DAP fertilizer.
The revised support will raise the per-acre loan limit from Rs.30,000 to Rs.33,500, benefiting an estimated one million farmers.
The program is expected to cover five million acres for Rs.17 billion.
Maryam Nawaz said her government would ensure implementation of the wheat support price of Rs.4,500 per 40kg.
Maryam Nawaz also announced to continue the campaign against water theft to ensure the supplies reached farmers at the tail end of irrigation channels.
“Every field must receive water, whether the farmer is small or large, poor or influential,” she said.
The government would also take measures to desilt canals, line watercourses to reduce wastage and expand high-efficiency irrigation systems.
She said 400 mini dams had been completed in the Potohar region, with plans to increase the number to 1,000.
The chief minister also announced a Potohar transformation package aimed at expanding olive cultivation and developing facilities for extracting olive oil.
She appealed to farmers not to burn crop residues, saying their cooperation was essential to tackling smog and improving air quality.
The government has also launched mobile soil-fertility and water-testing laboratories to help farmers improve crop yields and make more efficient use of agricultural resources.
On this occasion, CM Punjab said that more than one million small farmers in Punjab were already benefiting from the Kisan Card, which provides access to financial assistance for agricultural inputs, including fertilizer, seeds and pesticides.
The government would also provide interest-free loans worth Rs.150 billion to farmers for wheat cultivation, she said.
According to the chief minister, the government had achieved almost 100 percent recovery of loans, reflecting what she described as mutual trust between farmers and the provincial administration.
She said 25,000 tractors had already been provided under subsidized schemes, with plans to expand the initiative. A total of 50,000 tractors would be offered under the Green Tractor Scheme, she added.
The government was also allocating Rs.70 billion to high-tech agricultural mechanization, including equipment designed to improve farming efficiency and manage crop residue.
Farmers attending the meeting praised the Kisan Card initiative and the government’s agricultural support programs.
The gathering concluded with the chief minister cutting a birthday cake alongside farmers, who congratulated her on the occasion.
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