LAHORE: The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) has forwarded 130,000 applications to the Bank of Punjab (BoP) for final approval under the “Kissan Card” scheme, facilitating farmers with loans for agricultural inputs.
To date, the department has received over 327,000 applications for the Chief Minister Punjab’s “Kissan Card” scheme. Concurrently, registration of dealers from fertilizer, seed, and pesticide companies is underway, with 3,000 dealers already registered to supply inputs under the scheme.
These developments were discussed at a meeting chaired by Punjab’s Agriculture Minister, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, to review the progress of initiatives aimed at boosting agricultural production in the province. Minister Kirmani emphasized strict adherence to the timeline of the Kissan Card Project and instructed continuous monitoring of farmer applications.
He also focused on improving the helpline services to promptly address farmers’ concerns regarding application rejections and other issues.
Regarding the Chief Minister Green Tractor Scheme, the minister noted over 500 applications received and engagement with four major tractor manufacturers underway. Kirmani directed the establishment of a live dashboard to monitor all projects under the Transforming Punjab Agriculture plan.
Additionally, he mandated the creation of an online portal for the recruitment process of one thousand agricultural graduates over the next year.
Updates on the distribution of 4,000 super-seeders among farmers were also provided. Discussions included strategies to enhance vegetable and pulse cultivation, emphasizing kitchen gardening to ensure fresh and affordable produce adhering to hygiene standards.
Secretary Agriculture, Punjab, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, highlighted the final stages of preparing 1,000 super-seeders, which will aid in smog control. He underscored ongoing efforts to boost production of onions, tomatoes, chickpeas, and groundnuts across the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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