LAHORE: The Punjab government has proposed an allocation of over Rs 64.6 billion for the agricultural sector for the year 2024–25 to carry out work on 20 ongoing developmental schemes and 8 new schemes, which included “green tractor” and “Kissan card” schemes.

The budget document revealed that a sum of Rs 19.25 billion has been allocated for the ongoing schemes and Rs 45.35 billion for the new schemes.

The government has proposed a huge allocation of Rs 30 billion for the Chief Minister’s Green Tractor scheme which is aimed at promoting mechanization in the agricultural sector to achieve more per acre yield and saving the losses. The scheme would help the growers to get their tractors in easy installments without any interest. Another sum of Rs 200 million has been allocated separately for the promotion of E-mechanization through indigenous manufacturing of agricultural machinery.

Another much-trumpeted scheme is the “Kissan Card” for which the government has proposed an allocation of Rs 10 billion for the year 2024-25. The government intends to disburse loans especially small growers to buy inputs for their crops saving them from exploitation of middlemen etc. To shift agricultural tube wells on solar, the government has proposed Rs 2.5 billion under the Chief Minister’s programme for the solarisation of agricultural tube wells. The government aimed to shift 7,000 tube wells on solar under this project with a cost of Rs 9 billion which would save 8 million litres of diesel and Rs 8.3 million electricity units.

The government has also proposed a sum of Rs 1 billion for launching an internship programme for the agricultural students in the province.

To promote research, the government has proposed an allocation of Rs 204.751 million in the budget for the next financial year to carry out development work on different schemes which included promoting research for enhancement of Mash and Lentil through early generation seed production aimed at bringing down the import bill of lentils, Up-scaling of Date Palm Research Sub-Station in Jhang and Papaya Promotion through varietal improvement and management of Papaya Leaf Curl Virus, Strengthening of Cotton Research in Southern Punjab by establishing cotton research sub-station in Rajanpur and Up-scaling of Blackberry and groundnut research in Barani region Punjab. The government has also proposed Rs 100 million for revival of Citrus Sector in Punjab under the new schemes.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024