427,000 small farmers apply for Green Tractors Scheme

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated Phase-III of the CM Green Tractor Programme through a draw. On the occasion, she congratulated successful farmers. Provincial Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said 427,000 farmers owning up to five acres of land had applied for Phase-III of the scheme. He said that while 20,000 tractors had been distributed over the previous 25 years, as many as 31,000 had been provided in the past two years, setting a record. The CM was informed that tractor prices in the country had more than doubled over the last five years, prompting the Punjab government to prioritise the use of agricultural machinery in 2024. Under the programme, two phases had been completed and 21,000 tractors distributed, while another 10,000 tractors of 50 to 65 horsepower would be provided in the third phase. Officials said Punjab currently had only about 140 tractors per 10,000 acres — less than half the ratio in many other countries — despite tractors being the most critical machinery for the province's agricultural economy. Rising prices had made it increasingly difficult for small and medium farmers to purchase tractors at full cost, they said.

from Punjab News Updates and Insights - The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/wH1Nc2M