LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced a package of agricultural support measures, including the establishment of the province’s first Apna Kisan Bank, subsidised loans and additional financing for fertiliser purchases.
The announcements were made during a meeting with small, medium and large-scale farmers from across Punjab, which the chief minister dedicated to the farming community on her birthday.
Under the proposed financing structure, farmers borrowing up to Rs10 million through the PAVET scheme will be eligible for interest-free loans. Loans of up to Rs30 million will carry an interest rate of 2 per cent, while financing of up to Rs50 million will be offered at 5 per cent.
The chief minister also announced an increase of Rs3,500 per acre in the Kisan Card loan facility for purchasing DAP fertiliser. The revised limit will rise from Rs30,000 to Rs33,500 per acre, benefiting an estimated one million farmers.
The programme is expected to cover five million acres, with an allocation of Rs17 billion.
Maryam Nawaz said the provincial government would ensure implementation of the wheat support price of Rs4,500 per 40 kilogrammes. She also announced interest-free loans worth Rs150 billion for wheat cultivation.
On irrigation, the chief minister pledged to continue the campaign against water theft to ensure equitable distribution, including to farmers at the tail end of canals. She also announced measures to desilt canals, line watercourses to reduce water wastage and expand high-efficiency irrigation systems.
She said 400 mini dams had been completed in the Potohar region, with plans to increase the number to 1,000. A separate Potohar transformation package will promote olive cultivation and develop olive oil extraction facilities.
The government has also introduced mobile laboratories for soil fertility and water testing to help farmers improve yields and use agricultural resources more efficiently. Maryam Nawaz urged farmers to avoid burning crop residues to help reduce smog and improve air quality.
The chief minister said more than one million small farmers were already benefiting from the Kisan Card, which provides financial assistance for agricultural inputs, including fertiliser, seeds and pesticides.
She added that the government had achieved nearly 100 per cent recovery of loans, describing the result as evidence of mutual trust between farmers and the provincial administration.
Under subsidised agricultural schemes, 25,000 tractors have already been distributed, with a target of providing 50,000 tractors through the Green Tractor Scheme. The government is also allocating Rs70 billion for high-tech agricultural mechanisation, including equipment to improve farming efficiency and manage crop residues.
Farmers attending the meeting praised the Kisan Card and other agricultural support initiatives. The gathering concluded with the chief minister cutting a birthday cake alongside farmers.