Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz chaired a high-level meeting of the Agriculture Department to review progress on the Kissan Card programme and agricultural mechanisation initiatives across the province.
Kissan Card Programme Reaches Nearly One Million Beneficiaries
During the meeting, officials informed the chief minister that 900,000 Kissan Cards have already been issued, while another 50,000 farmers have recently been added to the programme, bringing the total close to the target of one million beneficiaries. A briefing revealed that farmers have so far received Rs360 billion in interest-free loans under the initiative. Officials also shared that the loan recovery rate under the Chief Minister's Kissan Card programme has reached an impressive 99 percent.
Loan Utilisation and Kharif Season Allocations
According to the briefing, nearly 80 percent of the loans were used by farmers to purchase fertilisers. The meeting was also told that Rs116 billion had been allocated for the Kharif crop season, of which Rs62 billion has already been utilised. Around 75 percent of the Kharif loans were spent on fertilisers.
Impact Assessment by KPMG and International Promotion
Officials further informed the meeting that international audit firm KPMG will submit its impact assessment report on the Kissan Card programme by September 30. They added that efforts are also underway to promote the programme at the international level. Addressing the meeting, Maryam Nawaz said the government has empowered farmers in real terms.
Tractor Distribution and Agricultural Mechanisation
The meeting was informed that 34,000 green tractors are being distributed across Punjab in three phases. According to officials, 41 percent of the farmers receiving tractors are owning one for the first time in their lives, while 20 percent have also purchased modern farming equipment along with their tractors. The briefing further noted that 32 percent of the beneficiaries are now offering agricultural services to other farmers as service providers.
Chief Minister's Remarks on Transparency and Scale
Maryam Nawaz said that for the first time in Punjab's history, 50,000 tractors will be distributed over a period of three years, adding that no previous government had provided tractors to farmers on such a large scale. She also said the entire tractor distribution process has been fully computerised, ensuring complete transparency by eliminating human intervention.
