By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: A high-level meeting was held today at Agriculture House Lahore under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Agriculture & Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani to review ongoing and new projects aimed at agricultural development under the Chief Minister’s Transforming Punjab Agriculture programme. Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo was also present.
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Addressing the meeting, the Provincial Minister said that the development of the agricultural sector and the prosperity of farmers are among the top priorities of the Chief Minister of Punjab. Revolutionary programmes are being implemented to achieve these goals, which are already improving farmers’ economic conditions. He stated that so far, 695,000 applications have been approved for the second phase of the Kissan Card scheme.
The Minister further stated that the Kissan Card is a flagship programme of the Punjab Government, and it is essential to increase the number of cardholders so that farmers can purchase agricultural inputs in a timely manner. In the second phase of the Kissan Card programme, a total of Rs. 94.15 billion has been allocated, of which farmers have so far utilised Rs. 49.33 billion.
He added that under the Chief Minister’s Wheat Support Programme, Rs. 14 billion has already been distributed among farmers. Furthermore, 978 tractors have been distributed to farmers through a transparent balloting process under the same programme.
The Minister announced that applications for the second phase of the Chief Minister’s Green Tractor Programme will start from 13 August. Under this phase, 10,000 locally manufactured tractors of 50 to 65 horsepower will be provided to farmers with a subsidy of Rs. 500,000 each, while 10,000 locally manufactured or imported tractors of 75 to 125 horsepower will be provided with a subsidy of Rs. 1 million each. Digital balloting at the tehsil level will be conducted on 15 September.
Regarding the establishment of Model Agriculture Malls, the Minister said that construction work in Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Sargodha has been completed, and in the second phase, 10 more Model Agriculture Malls will be established in Punjab.
In the second phase of the Agricultural Graduates Internship Programme, 2,000 more agricultural graduates are being recruited. Young graduates can submit their applications by 15 August, and so far 5,300 applications have been received.
Under the Solarisation of Agriculture Tube Wells programme, subsidies of Rs. 500,000, Rs. 750,000, and Rs. 1 million are being provided for the installation of 10 kW, 15 kW, and 20 kW solar systems respectively on farms. So far, 5,068 solar systems have been installed under this scheme, which will be completed by 30 September. This programme will help conserve water and save electricity.
The Minister highlighted that under the Chief Minister’s Smog Control Programme, the first and second phases of supplying super seeders have been completed, and by October this year a total of 5,000 super seeders will be operational in the field. Out of these, 800 will be given on priority to rural areas near the motorway.
He endorsed that under the High-Tech Financing Programme, in the next financial year, 11 types of new advanced agricultural machinery and equipment will be provided to farmers on subsidy. Under this programme, 1,000 units of machinery and equipment will be distributed, for which a substantial allocation of Rs. 30 billion has been made. Service providers and farmers will be given interest-free loans of up to Rs. 30 million for the purchase of agricultural machinery, repayable over five years.
Additionally, under the Chief Minister’s Water Conservation Project, 1,400 watercourses will be lined, and 500 laser land levellers will be distributed this year, with another 500 to be distributed next year through transparent balloting.
Under the Transformation of Potohar Region programme, 7,000 acres of land will be brought under cultivation. Moreover, 500 mini dams and 250 watercourses connected to command areas will be constructed. Olive cultivation will be carried out over 6,000 acres, peanut seed cultivation over 2,000 acres, and ginger cultivation over 100 acres. The programme also includes the provision of 500 laser land levellers in the Potohar region.
The meeting was also attended by Special Secretary Agriculture Nabeel Awan, Additional Secretary Agriculture planning Aamir Shehzad, Director Generals of Agriculture Ch. Abdul Hameed, Naveed Asmat Kahloon, Engineer Sajid Hassan, Rana Tajammul, and other senior officials.
