19.5k subsidised tractors in a year promised

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday launched the fourth phase of the Green Tractor Scheme through digital balloting and opened the application portal for the next phase, announcing plans to provide 19,500 tractors to farmers during the current fiscal year.

The chief minister pressed a button to conduct the balloting, with the first tractor of the phase going to Masood Khan of Attock.

According to a briefing, 10,000 tractors of 50 to 65 horsepower will be provided under phase IV, with the Punjab government offering a subsidy of Rs750,000 each.

Under phase V, 9,500 high-powered tractors ranging from 75 to 125 horsepower will be offered with a subsidy of Rs1 million each.

The provincial government has allocated Rs17.6 billion for the Green Tractor Scheme, while 24,000 tractors have already been provided to farmers under the programme with a subsidy of Rs1 million per tractor.

The chief minister inspected tractors being offered under the scheme, including locally manufactured 90-horsepower and locally assembled 100-horsepower models.

Officials said only 10,000 tractors had been provided to farmers over the previous 20 years, while 35,000 had been distributed in the past two-and-a-half years.

Similarly, Rs3 billion had been spent on agricultural mechanisation over two decades compared with Rs20 billion during the rule of the current government.

Punjab has also witnessed, for the first time, local manufacturing of 90-horsepower and assembly of 100-horsepower tractors.

At least 213,637 farmers applied for the programme, of whom 128,757 were declared eligible for the balloting after verification through the Punjab Land Records Authority and National Database and Registration Authority.