‘Punjab invested Rs35bn in agri mechanisation in last two years’

LAHORE: The Punjab government is generously allocating resources to transform agriculture in the province and a spending of Rs 35 billion during the last two years on agricultural mechanization in the province is a proof of it.

Several Chinese companies are in close coordination with the Punjab government to establish modern agricultural machinery plants in the province,” said the Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani during a meeting with a delegation of the Chinese machinery manufacturers on Friday.

A delegation of Chinese companies manufacturing advanced agricultural machinery visited Agriculture House and discussed opportunities for establishing modern agricultural machinery plants and promoting agricultural mechanization in Punjab were discussed.

Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, Director General Agricultural Information Punjab, Naveed Asmat Kahloon, and Chief Technical Advisor, Agriculture Delivery Unit, Hafiz Abdul Rehman were also present on the occasion.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister for Agriculture Punjab Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani stated that, in accordance with the vision of the Chief Minister Punjab, several practical measures are being undertaken to promote farm mechanization in the province.

He added that special facilities would be provided to Chinese agricultural machinery manufacturing companies to facilitate the promotion of modern agricultural technology in Punjab. He further said that Punjab’s agricultural sector contributes 70 percent to Pakistan’s economy. Over the past two years, an investment of Rs. 35 billion has been made in agricultural mechanization in Punjab, and farmers are being provided modern agricultural machinery at a 60 percent subsidy.

Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said China is a global leader in modern agricultural technology and that there is vast potential for agriculture-related industry in Punjab. He added that memorandums of understanding (MoU) with Chinese companies for the development of the agricultural sector are in their final stages.

During the meeting, the Chinese delegation stated that plants for manufacturing modern agricultural machinery would be established in Punjab, and that machinery produced by their company is already being exported to 25 countries. The delegation assured that agricultural machinery manufactured locally would be affordable for farmers and aligned with local needs.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025