Rawalpindi farmers: High-power green tractors distributed

RAWALPINDI: The Agriculture Department (Extension) Rawalpindi, distributed high-power green tractors to farmers in a ceremony held on Sunday.

A total of 165 high-power green tractors’ keys were handed over to deserving farmers who qualified through a transparent balloting process.

MNA Tahira Aurangzeb was the chief guest, while Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Culture Punjab Shazia Rizwan, MPAs Tahira Mushtaq, Divisional Director Agriculture (Extension) Rawalpindi Syed Shahid Iftikhar Bukhari and a large number of farmers also participated.

In her address, MNA Tahira Aurangzeb said the Punjab government’s agricultural policies aim not only to provide modern machinery but to strengthen farmers economically.

“Farmers are the real architects of Pakistan’s economy and the government understands the importance of their hard work. Our goal is to equip them with modern technology so they can compete in global markets,” she said. She added that the transparent execution of the tractor scheme demonstrated the government’s commitment to advancing agriculture through practical initiatives.

Guests at the ceremony praised the transparency and organization of the scheme, calling it a strong step towards a more robust agricultural sector.

Under the programme, the Punjab government provided a subsidy of Rs1 million per tractor, with the remaining amount paid by farmers themselves.

The farmers hailed the subsidy as a historic relief, particularly in light of rising production costs. More than 250 farmers from across the district attended the event and expressed confidence in the Punjab government and the Agriculture Department’s initiatives.

They said such programmes not only uplift farmers but also help boost agricultural productivity.

The farmers appreciated Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s farmer-friendly policies, saying they are expected to bring significant improvement to the agriculture sector, and urged that similar schemes be expanded to benefit more small and medium-scale farmers.

Speaking on the occassion, Divisional Director Agriculture (Extension) Syed Shahid Iftikhar Bukhari said the department is committed to raising the province’s agricultural output to international standards through modern machinery, training, and farmer-friendly schemes.