Rs30bn mechanisation programme launched: Chinese agri high-tech set to transform Punjab’s farmlands

LAHORE: Chinese high-tech agricultural machinery is all set to transform Punjab with the Rs 30 billion mechanization programme, launched to revolutionise farming in largest food-producing province.

From advanced combine harvesters and rice transplanters to center-pivot irrigation systems and high-power tractors, dozens of Chinese manufacturers will supply cutting-edge equipment aimed at boosting productivity, reducing post-harvest losses, and lowering labor dependency in Punjab’s fields.

This is a major leap forward in modernizing our farming practices, improving productivity, and delivering real prosperity to our Kisaan. The future of farming in Punjab, the food basket of Pakistan, has arrived.

Under the programme, interest-free bank financing of up to PKR 30 million will be made available with a six-month grace period and repayment spread over five years.

The Bank of Punjab will finance up to 80 percent of machinery costs, while applicants contribute 20 percent equity upfront.

Chinese manufacturers dominate the official lists, with 27 companies supplying machinery across almost every category. Information about the companies and their products has been collected by Gwadar Pro from official programme documents

China’s irrigation expertise is also set to reshape water management. Vodar, Shandong Yihi and Shenzhen Dianyingpu are bringing in multiple models of center-pivot irrigation systems, designed to sharply improve water-use efficiency on Punjab’s vast canal-fed plains.

In orchards, Xingtai and Shandong Huaxu will supply air-blast sprayers and powered pruners to modernize fruit cultivation.

High-power tractors, the backbone of mechanized farming, will be supplied by Luoyang Ruide (up to 210 HP), Weichai Loval, YTO, Zoomlion, Shandong Dafeng, Wuhan Wubota, Taian Guotal and Chongqing Smart Thinker.

These machines are expected to accelerate land preparation, transport and field operations across Punjab’s diverse agro-ecological zones.

“This is not just a subsidy programme, it’s a technology leap,” Dr Saif-ur-Rehman of PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, told “Chinese machines can cut harvest windows by weeks, reduce post-harvest losses drastically, and enable farmers to mechanize every stage from planting to irrigation to storage.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025