Wheat cultivation completed on 99% of target area: Kirmani

LAHORE:Minister for Agriculture Punjab, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, on Monday announced that wheat cultivation has been completed on 16.25 million acres, achieving nearly 99 percent of the target.

The minister attributed this success to the farmer-friendly initiatives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. He highlighted that under her leadership, several schemes such as the Kissan Card and the Green Tractor Programme etc. were launched. The chief minister provided Kissan Cards to farmers owning 1 to 12.5 acres of land. Additionally, 1,000 laser land levelers will be distributed via transparent balloting to farmers cultivating wheat on land between 12.5 to 25 acres. Similarly, 1,000 tractors will be distributed free-of-cost through transparent balloting to farmers with over 25 acres of wheat cultivation land.

During the cultivation season, adequate availability of DAP and urea fertilizers was ensured and these inputs were offered at lower prices compared to previous years. On the CM's directive, the price of Punjab Seed Corporation’s wheat seed bags was reduced from Rs6,300 to Rs4,500 per bag. He added that Agricultural activities in the province continue with the motto 'Prosperous Farmers, Prosperous Punjab.’