Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The Punjab government has set an ambitious target of cultivating wheat on 1.8 million acres in Faisalabad this season, deploying all available resources to meet the goal.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani announced this during a meeting at the Commissioner’s Office in Faisalabad, where he assessed measures to increase wheat production.
The minister said the Agriculture Extension Department is actively providing technical guidance to farmers, while special teams, in cooperation with district administrations, are ensuring the availability of quality inputs, including seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. To facilitate the process, farmer meetings, demonstration plots, and routine divisional and district-level meetings are being conducted, he added.
Mr Kirmani stressed the need for enhanced collaboration between the agriculture and irrigation departments to maintain a consistent water supply for wheat crops. He said that cultivating wheat on government land is mandatory this year, directing deputy commissioners to submit progress reports by November 18.
Underscoring the Rs400 billion Kissan Card programme, the minister said the scheme enables small-scale farmers to purchase farming inputs at regulated prices through interest-free loans. To date, transactions amounting to Rs16 billion have been facilitated using the Kissan Card, he added.
He also urged the Agriculture Extension Department to raise awareness among farmers about alternatives to rice stubble burning, which exacerbates smog. District administrations will provide updates on wheat farming efforts on public lands, while reports on Kissan Card usage and seed availability will be monitored, he said.
Saying that this year, the Punjab government has reduced the price of certified seeds by Rs2,000 and is offering DAP and other fertilizers at controlled prices, Mr Kirmani warned against price gouging or the distribution of substandard farming inputs during the planting season.
