The Punjab government has sought applications from farmers of all districts to provide them agricultural machinery and equipment on subsidy. A spokesman for the department said on Monday that farmers would get a subsidy up to 60 per cent and a maximum of Rs 500,000 on purchase of machinery. Regarding eligibility criteria, the spokesman said that a farmer should have a tractor of at least 50 horse power and he must own or be a tenant of 25 acres of land in the area of canal water and 50 acres of land in rain-fed area. He said, “Farmers are not allowed to sell or transfer machinery purchased under this project to any other person for 4 years.” Farmers have to get one-day training from Assistant Agriculture Engineering of their respective district or from Assistant Director Agriculture Engineering regarding operation of machinery, its look after and maintenance. Interested farmers could download application forms from field.agripunjab.gov.pk and submit till Sept 30.
Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that Punjab government had fulfilled its promise to give better rates to cotton growers. He said this while presiding over a meeting organized to monitor the current situation of cotton at Civil Secretariat here. The stability of the cotton market would make the farmers prosperous and put positive impact on the next crop, he added. He further said that the condition of cotton across the province was satisfactory and priority measures were being taken for better care of the cotton crop. Pesticides were being sprayed in reported hotspot areas to control pest/ insect infestation. It was told in the meeting that harvesting phase of the early sown crop was going on. In some areas, the attack of white fly and pink bollworm had been observed, but it was below the economic limit of damage. Secretary Agriculture was told that Sahiwal and Bahawalpur divisions were facing canal closures due to high level floods. But till now, the cotton crop was safe.
