LAHORE: Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani on Wednesday said the wheat cultivation target for the Lahore Division had been fixed at 1.35 million acres for the current season, while the provincial target stood at 16.5 million acres, stressing that achieving these targets was vital to ensuring national food security.
He was chairing a high-level review meeting at the Commissioner’s Office, Lahore, to assess wheat cultivation targets, production planning and the availability and prices of agricultural inputs in Lahore Division.
The minister said the Punjab government had allocated Rs 450 million in subsidies on certified wheat seed supplied by the Punjab Seed Corporation this year, while Rs 150 billion had been earmarked under the Kissan Card scheme to facilitate farmers in purchasing agricultural inputs. He added that interest-free loans worth Rs425 billion had been provided to farmers through the Kissan Card over the past two and a half years. Under the Green Tractor Programme, 45,000 tractors had also been provided to farmers at subsidised rates.
Kirmani said the proposed wheat support price of Rs4,500 per maund was an attractive package for farmers and reflected the government’s commitment to increasing domestic wheat production. He directed agriculture officials to promote modern farming practices, particularly line sowing and the use of agricultural machinery, to improve per-acre productivity.
He directed officials to ensure that a 50-kilogram bag of approved wheat seed supplied by the Punjab Seed Corporation was sold at the fixed price of Rs7,000. Warning against hoarding, profiteering and black marketing, he said strict action would be taken against dealers charging farmers above the prescribed rates. District agriculture officers were also directed to maintain regular inspections of seed dealers and ensure the timely availability of quality seed. The minister further ordered a zero-tolerance policy against canal water theft and directed officials to immediately address complaints regarding overcharging for agricultural machinery rentals. He stressed that Agriculture Extension field staff must remain active to guide farmers and facilitate the achievement of wheat cultivation targets. He also directed the departments concerned to ensure 100 percent wheat cultivation on government-owned land under the Chief Minister’s “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” programme.
Secretary Agriculture Punjab Shakeel Ahmad Mian informed the meeting that the wheat cultivation target for Lahore Division had been increased by 50,000 acres compared to the previous year. He said stocks of urea, DAP and NP fertilizers were satisfactory and warned that legal action, including registration of cases and fines, would be taken against those involved in crop residue burning and canal water theft.
Members of the Provincial Assembly Ghazali Saleem Butt and Malik Shehbaz Ali, along with Directors General of Agriculture Naveed Asmat Kahloon, Muhammad Shehbaz Akhtar and Dr Aamir Rasool and other relevant officers, also attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026