LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that Punjab has entered a new era of agricultural mechanization and historic steps are being taken to provide modern agricultural machinery to farmers.
In the next financial year, 20,000 green tractors will be provided to farmers. A directive has been issued in this regard.
According to the document, on the instructions of the Chief Minister, a subsidy of Rs. 1 million per tractor was given on 9,500 high-power tractors under the Green Tractor Scheme, while 10,000 tractors of 50 to 65 horsepower are being provided to farmers with a subsidy of Rs. 500,000.
Maryam Nawaz announced that in the new phase of the Green Tractor Scheme, a subsidy of Rs. 1.5 million will be given on high-horsepower tractors and Rs. 750,000 will be given on tractors of 50 to 65 horsepower.
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On the instructions of the Chief Minister, an interest-free loan scheme of up to Rs 3 crore has also been introduced in Punjab for the first time for the purchase of 12 types of high-tech agricultural machinery. Under this scheme, about 200 high-tech combined harvesters have been provided to farmers, while 50 modern combined harvesters were used for the first time for harvesting wheat.
To solve the problem of environmental pollution and burning of paddy residue, 5,000 super seeders were distributed among rice farmers, with the help of which rice cultivation was completed on an area of 1.4 million acres for the first time. Another 5,000 super seeders are being provided in the second phase of the super seeder scheme.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that it is her resolve to equip farmers with modern agricultural technology and machinery. Agricultural mechanization will not only reduce the cost of production but will also increase the production per acre. He said that the use of super seeder is leading to a significant reduction in environmental pollution.
The Chief Minister further said that the use of modern agricultural machinery has become the need of the hour, which is why the government is also providing the facility of renting modern agricultural machinery to small farmers so that more and more farmers can benefit from modern agricultural methods.
