During a meeting on agricultural reforms chaired by Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz in Lahore, the approval for the implementation of the ‘Nawaz Sharif Kisan Card’ in the province was granted. The reorganization of institutions such as the Punjab Seed Corporation and the Punjab Agricultural Research Board was discussed, along with plans to establish a research center at Agricultural University Faisalabad in partnership with China.
Furthermore, plans were made to modernize the Agricultural Extension Wing and recruit 500 agriculture graduates.
Especially, the meeting highlighted the distribution of 24,800 agricultural implements to farmers over two years, costing Rs7 billion.
Maryam Nawaz stated the benefits of the ‘Nawaz Sharif Kisan Card,’ aiming to eliminate counterfeit fertilizers and medicines, and announced the establishment of model agriculture centers in each district.
The initiative also includes providing loans totaling Rs150 billion to 500,000 small farmers annually, with each acre eligible for a Rs30,000 loan for purchasing quality seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. Amendments to relevant acts will target the prevention of counterfeit agricultural products.
Moreover, subsidies will be extended through the ‘Nawaz Sharif Kisan Card,’ while collaborations with the private sector will facilitate the establishment of model agriculture centers offering advanced facilities such as Genome Center, Germ Plasm Resource, Speed Breeding, and Climate Change Research
