Punjab CM approves wheat support subsidy for 600,000 farmers

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved a wheat support subsidy of 5,000 rupees per acre for 600,000 farmers under the ‘Kissan Card’ initiative.

Farmers who are not currently registered under the Kissan Card program will also be eligible to receive the same per-acre subsidy.

Chairing a special meeting, the Chief Minister announced that billions of rupees in additional subsidies will be allocated for the upcoming crop season.

She emphasized the government’s continued commitment to supporting farmers and strengthening the agricultural sector.

During the meeting, it was revealed that farmers have already utilized 36 billion rupees through the Kissan Card facility to purchase agricultural inputs.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif also reviewed the progress of the agricultural tube wells solarization scheme, reiterating her government’s vision of modernizing Punjab’s agriculture through sustainable and farmer-friendly initiatives.

Earlier, Chairman of the Kisan Ittehad, Khalid Hussain Bath, has warned that if the government fails to fix the wheat price, farmers will be left with no option but to stage a hunger strike in Islamabad, ARY News reported.

According to ARY News, Khalid Hussain Bath addressed a press conference in Islamabad, stating that after Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s recent announcement, wheat prices have dropped by another Rs 400 per 40 kg.

“We are being told that the wheat will not be purchased directly by the government but by a third party—but how will Punjab’s farmers understand a European-style procurement system?” he questioned. “Farmers don’t even understand how to use storage systems.”

He urged CM Punjab to stop making policy decisions solely based on bureaucrats’ advice. “Listen to the farmers, have mercy on them,” he said. “The storage system will only give rise to a new wave of corruption.”