Provincial Minister for Agriculture Dr Farrukh Javed has inaugurated the balloting process of distribution of agriculture implements among farmers across the province. He was accompanied by Member Provincial Assembly Chaudhry Gulzar, Director General Agriculture Extension Dr Anjum Ali, Assistant Commissioner Model Town Rao Imtiaz and a large number of farmer representatives in Agriculture House here on Thursday.
The minister, while talking to the media representatives after balloting, said that the Punjab government is providing a subsidy of about Rs 1.18 billion on agriculture implements to be distributed among farmers all over Punjab. He said, “We would provide 50 percent subsidy on disk harrow, seed cum fertilizer drill, chisel plough and sugarcane ridger. He said that by providing subsidised agricultural equipment to the farmer, we can boost the mechanised cultivation and production will increase resultantly.
One farmer in every union council of Punjab will get selected through balloting and each lucky farmer will get a subsidy of Rs 211,000, he added. He told that balloting is ongoing in all 2486 union councils of the province.
Dr Farrukh Javed said that farmers having six acres of agricultural land and their own tractor were eligible to apply in the programme for which applications were received until December 7. He also said that wining farmers would be bound not to sell or transfer the equipment for two years under this programme. The minister told the media that 70 percent of the country’s agricultural produce comes from Punjab. He said that the agriculture industry in the country, being the only source of raw material supply, is entitled to special interest and patronage. That is why Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has provided a historical farmers package of Rs 341 billion and the provincial government is spending Rs 150 billion on farm to market roads programme. He said that agricultural stability and economic development is very important to ensure the stability of Pakistan.