LAHORE: The Punjab government has started distributing green tractors among farmers under its wheat support programme to encourage wheat cultivation across the province.
A total of 1,000 tractors are being handed over through a transparent balloting process. Speaking at a distribution ceremony held in Multan as part of the “Grow More Wheat” campaign, Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said the Chief Minister of Punjab has introduced a landmark Rs27 billion package to promote wheat farming and increase production.
As part of the wheat production competition, farmers at the provincial level will receive an 85-horsepower tractor for the first prize, a 75-horsepower tractor for second, and a 60-horsepower tractor for third. At the district level, the first prize is Rs1 million, second prize Rs0.8 million, and third prize Rs0.5 million.
Under this initiative, farmers with wheat crops on 1 to 12.5 acres are receiving a subsidy of Rs5,000 per acre. The minister added that in the Multan Division, 109 farmers are being given tractors under the campaign.
He also noted that in the first phase of the Green Tractors Programme, 9,500 farmers had already received tractors. In the second phase, 20,000 more tractors will be distributed. Meanwhile, Phase 2 of the Chief Minister Punjab Kisan Card scheme is offering interest-free loans worth Rs100 billion. The maximum loan limit has been raised to Rs300,000, and landholding eligibility increased to 25 acres.
Farmers can withdraw 30% of the loan in cash, while 20% is reserved for diesel. To support the scheme, 4,000 registered dealers and over 700 PSO fuel stations have been included in the network.
The ceremony was also addressed by Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo. On this occasion, Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani handed over keys of the green tractors to successful farmers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.