By Our Correspondent
LAHORE– A high-level review meeting on the Wheat Cultivation Support Program 2025–26 for the upcoming Rabi season was held at Agriculture House Lahore, chaired by Provincial Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani. Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Osama Khan Laghari and Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo were also in attendance.
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During the session, officials briefed the minister on a proposal under consideration to provide a subsidy of Rs. 3,000 per bag of DAP fertilizer to small-scale farmers. Farmers owning up to 12 acres of land will be eligible for a maximum subsidy of Rs. 36,000, with an overall coverage for farmers owning up to 25 acres.
Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani stated that under this initiative, farmers would be able to purchase DAP fertilizer at reduced rates between November 1 and November 30, 2025. He directed that registered DAP dealers maintain a daily record of all sales to ensure transparency. Importantly, both Kissan Card holders and other eligible farmers will be included in the program, which is expected to benefit approximately 98 percent of Punjab’s farming community.
A proposal to allocate Rs. 20 billion for the program is currently under review.
Highlighting the importance of reaching underserved regions, the provincial minister emphasized the inclusion of non-computerized areas and called for a robust awareness campaign. The campaign will focus on timely wheat sowing, drill-based cultivation, certified seed availability, proper fertilizer usage, weed and irrigation management.
Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo informed the gathering that 3,000 notified Kissan Card dealers have been brought on board. These dealers will supply DAP fertilizer at subsidized rates, with oversight by the revenue and agriculture departments to ensure fair implementation.
Explaining the sales process, the secretary noted that it has been made fully transparent and technology-driven. Dealers will use the Fertilizer App to verify the farmer’s CNIC, followed by land record validation through PLRA and biometric verification via NADRA. Once verified, the farmer will deposit their portion of the cost, and the dealer will log the sale. The government will transfer the subsidy directly into the dealer’s bank account the same day.
The meeting was also attended by Additional Secretary Task Force Shabbir Ahmed Khan, Director Generals of Agriculture Naveed Asmat Kahloon, Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, Abdul Qayyum, Agriculture Project Director Dr. Anjum Ali, and representatives from the Seed Corporation and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), along with other senior officials.
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