The Punjab Agriculture Department has achieved more than half of the province’s wheat cultivation target, with the sown area recording a 7.7 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period last year, officials informed a meeting on Friday.
During a briefing to Punjab Agriculture Minister Ashiq Kirmani, department officials said farmers had so far cultivated 51 per cent of the targeted wheat area through line sowing. They added that the use of certified wheat seeds had reached 44 per cent, reflecting progress in efforts to improve crop quality and agricultural productivity.
The minister directed agriculture department field teams to intensify their engagement with farmers and provide technical assistance throughout the ongoing wheat cultivation season. He stressed that officials must ensure the timely availability of quality seeds and fertilisers at government-notified prices so that farmers could complete sowing within the prescribed timeframe.
Kirmani also emphasised the need for effective monitoring at the field level to maintain the pace of cultivation and achieve the province’s overall wheat production targets. He instructed the relevant authorities to address farmers’ concerns and facilitate them during the sowing campaign.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of paddy harvesting and discussed measures to discourage the burning of crop residues, which contributes to worsening air pollution. Officials briefed the participants on initiatives being implemented under the provincial smog control programme to reduce pollution caused by agricultural activities.
Regarding financial assistance to farmers, the meeting was informed that the fifth phase of the Kissan Card scheme had approved agricultural loans worth Rs100 billion for one million farmers. Of the total beneficiaries, around 818,000 farmers had already received credit facilities, while farmers had utilised loans amounting to Rs26 billion.
The meeting also reviewed progress under the Green Tractor Programme. Officials said the fourth phase had resulted in the distribution of 1,840 tractors among farmers, while the government planned to provide another 9,500 locally manufactured and imported tractors under the fifth phase.
They further informed the meeting that the department had received 305,000 applications for the latest phase of the tractor scheme. Authorities had completed the verification process for 188,000 applications, while scrutiny of the remaining applications was under way.
The minister called for transparency and efficiency in implementing agricultural support schemes, directing officials to ensure that financial assistance and modern farming equipment reached deserving farmers without unnecessary delays.
