Kisan Card 2nd phase to start on May 15

LAHORE:Participants in a meeting on Wednesday reviewed in detail the progress of various initiatives being taken by Punjab Chief Minister on the development of the agriculture sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Agriculture & Livestock Punjab announced that the second phase of the Kisan Card will begin on May 15. Under this programme, interest-free agricultural loans will be provided to farmers for the Kharif season, with Rs75 billion being allocated. Farmers will be able to use 30% of the loan as cash and 25% for diesel purchase.

He further stated that a proposal to provide interest-free loans to farmers owning 8 to 10 acres of land will be sent to the chief minister for final approval. Additionally, farmers who repay previous loans on time under the Kisan Card scheme will receive a support package of Rs5,000 per acre.

The minister shared that under the Green Tractor Programme, 9,250 out of 9,500 tractors have already been delivered to successful applicants in the first phase. In the second phase, a proposal is under consideration to provide 10,000 to 20,000 locally manufactured tractors (60 to 85 HP) to farmers on subsidy.

Final approval will be granted by the chief minister, he said, adding 80% construction work has been completed on Model Agriculture Malls in Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Sargodha, and a proposal to build 10 more malls in the next phase is under review. The second phase of the Agriculture Graduates Internship Programme aims to induct 2,000 more agri-graduates in various sub-departments of the Agriculture Department.

Under the Chief Minister's Smog Control Programme, the first phase of Super Seeder distribution has been completed 100%. Before the rice harvesting season in September this year, a total of 5,000 super seeders will be provided to farmers. Applications will be accepted from farmers across the province.

The minister revealed that under the High-Tech Financing Programme, 11 types of modern agricultural machinery and equipment will be provided to farmers on subsidy in the next fiscal year. A total of 1,000 machines will be distributed, with Rs30 billion allocated for the programme. Farmers and service providers will be able to receive interest-free loans of up to Rs50 million, repayable over five years.

He informed that early cotton sowing has been completed on 840,000 acres across Punjab. For farmers cultivating 5 acres or more, the chief minister has approved a Rs25,000 special incentive package. The availability of triple gene cotton varieties has also been ensured during this campaign.

Secretary Agriculture Punjab highlighted that all timelines under the CM’s Kisan Package are being followed strictly. He emphasised that the success of the early cotton sowing campaign was made possible by coordinated field efforts and the incentive package from the chief minister.