Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday approved the launch of Phase-II of several key agriculture initiatives aimed at supporting small farmers and modernising the province’s farming practices. These include the disbursement of PKR 100 billion in loans through 628,000 Kissan Cards, a new phase of the Green Tractor Programme, and the expansion of Model Agriculture Malls to 10 additional districts.
Chairing a review meeting of the Agriculture Department, CM Maryam reaffirmed her government’s commitment to agricultural reform and directed the authorities to formulate a long-term strategy to boost productivity and reduce production costs. She announced that farmers with landholdings of up to 25 acres would be eligible to receive subsidised diesel, fertilisers, seeds, and agricultural chemicals under the Kissan Card scheme.
To facilitate wider access, she abolished the PKR 1,000 processing fee for Kissan Card registration. Officials reported a 99% loan recovery rate under Phase-I and confirmed that 4,200 agricultural suppliers have already been registered for the programme.
Under the Green Tractor Programme Phase-II, the government will provide 20,000 subsidised tractors. A subsidy of PKR 500,000 will be given for 50–65 horsepower (HP) tractors, while larger tractors (75–125 HP) will receive a PKR 1 million subsidy. Applications will open in August, and the manufacturing and distribution process is expected to be completed by September. The chief minister also directed regular monitoring to ensure transparency and timely delivery.
CM Maryam also announced that 10 new Model Agriculture Malls will be launched this month in Faisalabad, Jhang, Okara, Khanewal, Rajanpur, Vehari, Rahim Yar Khan, Sheikhupura, Attock, and Mianwali. Existing facilities in Multan, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, and Sahiwal will be made fully functional within July.
Regarding efforts to solarise tube-wells, officials informed the CM that 7,988 applications were received, of which 500 fraudulent cases were rejected. So far, 652 tube-wells have been solarised out of 7,670 approved in the first phase. The CM instructed completion of the current phase by September and announced a five-year target to solarise 500,000 tube-wells.
In addition, the province has distributed 700 free tractors as part of the wheat support programme, with 300 more expected to be delivered in the next two weeks. The government also plans to distribute 5,000 super seeders by October and introduce 9,000 units of high-tech farm machinery at subsidised rates. Twenty types of modern equipment will be brought in with support from Chinese manufacturers.
As part of the Agri Internship Programme, 1,000 agricultural graduates have already helped over 2 million farmers. In Phase-II, 2,000 new interns will begin training in September, with deployment expected to start in October.
Separately, the chief minister issued emergency directives to manage urban flooding following heavy monsoon rains. She instructed relevant departments to ensure immediate drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas, clear roads, and maintain round-the-clock monitoring of flood response operations.
Later in the day, CM Maryam also expressed her condolences over the passing of veteran journalist Zubeida Mustafa, offering sympathies to her family.
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