LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday said the Kissan Card programme was transforming the lives of farmers and helping them achieve financial independence.
The chief minister said Punjab’s farmers would no longer remain indebted to commission agents (aarhtis) and would be able to live with dignity. She said it was her dream to see farmers of the province moving towards financial autonomy and prosperity.
Under her vision of introducing innovation in agriculture, more than 832,000 farmers across Punjab have been issued Kissan Cards for the first time. Farmers utilised loans worth Rs2.54 billion through the Kissan Card scheme. During the wheat season, farmers purchased agricultural inputs worth more than Rs100 billion through the facility.
Recoveries amounting to Rs67 billion were due from 538,000 farmers, while 86 per cent recovery rate has been achieved. Farmers have set an exemplary precedent by repaying instalments worth Rs57 billion on time. For the Kharif crop season, agricultural inputs worth Rs90 billion had been made available to farmers through the Kissan Card programme. Around 300,000 farmers obtained agricultural inputs valued at Rs30 billion through the scheme.
The CM said the Kissan Card was changing the fortunes of Punjab’s farming community and ensuring that they are no longer dependent on middlemen for financial support. She appreciated farmers for the timely repayment of agricultural loans, saying that they had set an outstanding example through their commitment and responsibility.
