In order to facilitate farmers, the Punjab government has launched Nawaz Sharif Kisan Card under which loans worth Rs150 billion will be distributed among 500,000 small farmers on easy terms and conditions, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved the Kisan Card while chairing a high-level meeting under “Green Punjab and Khushal Kashtkar” project in Lahore on Friday.

Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, Agriculture Minister Ashiq Hussain, Pervaiz Rasheed, Saud Majeed, Chief Secretary Agriculture, President Bank of Punjab and other officials attended the meeting.

The CM was told that under the new scheme farmers will also be given an agricultural loan of Rs30,000 per acre for purchasing best seeds, fertilizers and pesticides besides various other subsidies.

Model Agriculture Centers (MAC) will be established across Punjab in collaboration with the private sector. The agriculture centers will have modern agricultural machinery, training, pesticide seeds and demonstration plots. In the first phase, a model agriculture center will be set up in every district so that farmers can get rid of fake fertilizers and medicines.

On the occasion, CM Maryam directed that agriculture department should compile data about each crop, its demand and per-acre yield.

Moreover, the CM also ordered to set up state of the art Research and Development Centre in Agriculture University Faisalabad at a cost of Rs 2 billion to promote research on cotton, wheat and rice seeds. Moreover, the center of excellence will be linked with regional universities as well. The center will conduct research on climate change, speed breading, gnome and germ plasm resources.

Moreover, the CM Maryam was briefed that amendments to the Agriculture Pesticides Act and the Fertilizers Control Act will be made to prevent the sale of spurious agricultural drugs and fertilizers. The restructuring of Punjab Seed Corporation and Punjab Agricultural Research Board was also reviewed in the meeting.

During the meeting, it was decided to introduce a law to prevent the use of agricultural land for residential purposes. It was decided that in order to equip the agricultural extensionwing with modern technology 500 agriculture graduates will be recruited. Moreover, 24,800 latest agricultural equipment will be provided to the farmers at a cost of Rs7 billion in within two years.

Reporter: Rao Dilshad