Farmers become self-sufficient, claims Kirmani

LAHORE:Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Ashiq Hussain Kirmani has said due to the successful initiatives/projects of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in the agricultural sector, the economic conditions of farmers have improved and they have become self-sufficient.

The new financial year 2025-26 will guarantee further development and prosperity for farmers, the minister said while speaking at a meeting held on Wednesday at Agriculture House. He said that out of the Rs36 billion used amount of Kissan Card Phase One, Rs35 billion rupees have been recovered. The recovery of Phase One is almost complete, adding 3 lakh and 37 thousand new applications have been received for Kissan Card Phase Two, out of which 150 thousand new farmers will be eligible.

He stressed that there is a need to run a full awareness campaign for farmers to become Kissan Card holders. In this regard, road shows and interviews with farmers who have returned loans in time should be conducted. The minister explained that the second phase of Kissan Card was launched on May 15. Under the Kissan Card, farmers will be provided with interest-free agricultural loans for Kharif, for which an amount of Rs 75 billion has been allocated.

On this occasion, the provincial minister highlighted that the farmers of the second phase of the Kissan Card will also be able to purchase diesel with 30 percent cash and 25 percent money. He endorsed that out of the approved amount of Rs 14 billion of the Wheat Support Programme, Rs 11 billion has been distributed among the farmers. The provincial minister for Agriculture further said that under the Chief Minister Punjab Green Tractor Programme, 9,350 green tractors have been delivered so far to the successful farmers in the first phase of 9,500 balloting.

During the second phase of this program, 10,000 locally manufactured tractors of 50 horsepower to 65 horsepower will be provided to the farmers at a subsidy of Rs 500,000, while 10,000 local and imported tractors of 75 horsepower and above will be provided at a subsidy of Rs 01 million, he said, adding the construction work of model agricultural malls in Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur and Sargodha while complete construction work of Multan and Sahiwal has been completed.

He explained that 10 more model agricultural malls will be built in Punjab during the second phase. ‘While 2,000 more agricultural graduates will be recruited during the second phase of the agricultural graduates internship program.

These graduates will be posted in all sub-departments of the Punjab Agriculture Department. The first and second phases of provision of super seeders under the Chief Minister Punjab Smog Control Programme have been completed. A total of 5,000 super seeders will be provided to the farmers before the paddy harvesting in September this year.