Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced interest-free loans of up to Rs30 million for farmers, outlining a broader package of financial support and agricultural development initiatives.
Addressing a delegation of farmers’ representatives in Lahore, Nawaz said loans of Rs30 million would carry an interest rate of 2%, while loans of Rs50 million would be subject to a 5% interest rate. The announcement did not clarify the terms applicable to loans below Rs30 million, despite describing them as interest-free.
More than one million people have enrolled in the Punjab Kisan Card programme, under which each eligible farmer receives Rs150,000 before the cultivation season, she said.
Nawaz said her government had taken unprecedented steps to improve farmers’ prosperity over the past two years. The province would recruit 1,000 agricultural interns this year to support farmers, she added, emphasizing agriculture’s importance to the national economy.
She also claimed that black-market sales of fertilizer and other agricultural inputs had been brought to an end.
The chief minister directed officials to ensure wheat procurement at the support price of Rs4,500, without specifying the unit in the statement. She said Punjab supplies about 70% of the country’s food requirements and described the province as Pakistan’s food basket.
To improve agricultural value chains, the government is developing processing parks for grading, processing and storing produce, including mangoes, citrus fruits and potatoes.
Nawaz said a strict crackdown on water theft was under way to ensure equitable distribution, particularly for small farmers who often struggle to secure their rightful share. She said her government wanted irrigation water to reach the tail ends of canal networks rather than remain concentrated among influential landowners.
The provincial government is also preparing to launch the Punjab Kisan Bank, with work on the initiative reportedly completed. The bank is intended to make financial services more accessible to farmers and reduce the difficulties they face in obtaining banking facilities.
