LAHORE: The Punjab agriculture department distributed prizes worth millions of rupees among farmers for timely repayment of installments under the fourth phase of the Chief Minister Punjab Kissan Card Programme at a ceremony held at the Agriculture House, Lahore, on Friday.
Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Usama Khan Leghari attended the ceremony as chief guest. Special Secretary Agriculture Punjab Agha Nabeel Akhtar, Director General Agriculture Information Naveed Asmat Kahloon, Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, Bank of Punjab representatives, including Noufal Dawood, senior officials and prize-winning farmers were also present.
Under the fourth phase of the programme, 420 farmers from across Punjab who deposited their installments by November 5 were selected through a transparent balloting process for prizes. At the ceremony, four farmers received tractors, five were awarded motorcycles and three received mobile phones. Farmers making payments by November 15 will also be included in the balloting for a chance to win prizes.
Addressing the ceremony, Usama Khan Lagari congratulated the winning farmers and said the Kissan Card was a farmer-friendly initiative of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Under the programme, interest-free loans worth billions of rupees had been provided to farmers over the past two and a half years to meet their agricultural requirements from sowing to harvesting and help them become financially independent of middlemen.
He said the distribution of tractors and motorcycles among farmers who regularly repaid their loans was a practical demonstration of the government’s appreciation and encouragement. The initiative would promote a culture of timely loan repayment and encourage the adoption of modern agricultural machinery in the farming sector.
He further said the Chief Minister had fixed the wheat support price at Rs4,500 per maund for the current year. An amount of Rs150 billion had been allocated under the Kissan Card for wheat growers to purchase agricultural inputs during the Rabi season.
Additionally, Rs17 billion had been provided as interest-free financing through the Kissan Card for purchasing DAP fertiliser at the rate of Rs3,500 per acre.
The Parliamentary Secretary urged farmers to ensure timely wheat sowing over the maximum possible area, adopt row sowing techniques and use certified seeds of varieties approved by the Punjab Agriculture Department.
Speaking on the occasion, Special Secretary Agriculture Punjab Agha Nabeel Akhtar said the Kissan Card was a flagship initiative of the Chief Minister, enabling farmers to meet their financial requirements in a timely manner. He added that the entire amount repaid by Kissan Card holders was credited back to their accounts within 48 hours of repayment.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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