Japanese firm invited to establish agricultural machinery plants

LAHORE: The Punjab government has invited Japanese agricultural machinery manufacturer Kubota to establish manufacturing plants in the province to provide farmers with modern equipment at affordable prices and accelerate the mechanization of the agriculture sector.

The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Additional Chief Secretary of Punjab, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, and a delegation of Kubota, led by Shin Hirata and Mashashi Tanaka, at the Civil Secretariat on Tuesday.

Both sides explored opportunities for cooperation in the agricultural sector, particularly in promoting modern machinery and advanced farming technologies.

During the meeting, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo briefed the Japanese delegation on the provincial government’s initiatives to modernize agriculture and facilitate farmers through access to advanced technologies.

He said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was committed to bringing Punjab’s agricultural sector in line with modern technological developments. Under this vision, the government was providing interest-free loans to farmers for purchasing modern agricultural machinery.

He added that the financing limit for agricultural machinery service providers had also been increased, enabling them to purchase 10 to 15 modern machines and provide rental services to farmers.

The government was also offering a 30 per cent subsidy on machinery rental charges to encourage the use of environmentally friendly agricultural equipment and make modern farming technologies more accessible.

Inviting Kubota to establish manufacturing facilities in Punjab, the additional chief secretary said local production would help reduce the cost of quality agricultural machinery and make advanced equipment more affordable for farmers.

He observed that Kubota’s machinery, particularly combine harvesters and rice translators, was well suited to Punjab’s agricultural requirements.

The Japanese company’s representatives informed the meeting that more than 23,000 units of its combine harvester series had been sold in China, while sales in Bangladesh had crossed 2,100 units.

Iftikhar Ali Sahoo stressed that the introduction of modern agricultural machinery should be accompanied by trained technical personnel, efficient repair services and a reliable supply of spare parts to ensure the equipment’s effective utilization.

He said the provincial government was keen to strengthen cooperation with international companies to promote agricultural mechanization, improve productivity and support farmers through modern technology.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026