LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said on Thursday that the provincial government was taking practical measures to modernise the agriculture sector and enhance farmers’ productivity through the provision of modern machinery and financial support.
Addressing a ceremony in Sahiwal district for the distribution of tractors among farmers under the Chief Minister’s Green Tractor Programme, he termed the initiative a game-changer for Punjab’s agriculture sector.
The minister said that under the fourth phase of the programme, the government was providing a subsidy of Rs 750,000 per tractor for the distribution of 10,000 tractors ranging from 50 to 65 horsepower across Punjab. In Sahiwal district, 205 farmers had been declared successful, while 177 farmers were being provided with tractors under the programme.
Kirmani said the provincial government was committed to providing modern agricultural facilities to farmers to improve farm mechanisation, increase per-acre yields and strengthen the agricultural economy.
Referring to the upcoming wheat crop, he said the federal and Punjab governments had fixed the wheat procurement price at Rs 4,500 per maund, making wheat cultivation a profitable venture for farmers. He added that the Punjab government had also allocated a subsidy of Rs450 million on certified wheat seed supplied through the Punjab Seed Corporation to encourage farmers to use quality seed and improve crop productivity.
Furthermore, Rs150 billion had been allocated under the Kissan Card Programme to facilitate wheat growers in purchasing agricultural inputs. An additional interest-free facility of Rs17 billion had also been extended through the Kissan Card for the purchase of DAP fertiliser at the rate of Rs 3,500 per acre.
The ceremony was attended by MPA Malik Muhammad Arshad, Parliamentary Secretary for Forests Malik Qasim Nadeem, Commissioner Sahiwal Division Dr Muhammad Asif Tufail, Special Secretary Agriculture Agha Nabeel Akhtar, Director General Agriculture Information Naveed Asmat Kahloon, other senior officials and a large number of farmers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026