The Punjab government has fixed the wheat support price at Rs. 4,500 per maund and set a cultivation target of 16.5 million acres for the upcoming season to boost production and support farmers.

Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani announced the decisions during a review meeting at the Commissioner’s Office on Wednesday.

He said the provincial government had allocated Rs. 150 billion under the Kissan Card programme to help farmers purchase agricultural inputs. It has also disbursed Rs. 425 billion in interest-free loans over the past two and a half years.

Punjab Announces Billions in Farmer Support

Kirmani said the government had distributed 45,000 tractors at subsidized rates under the Green Tractor Scheme.

The Punjab Seed Corporation has also provided Rs. 450 million in subsidies on certified wheat seeds to encourage farmers to use quality seeds and improve crop yields.

Reviewing division-wise cultivation targets, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Shakeel Ahmad Mian said Lahore Division had been assigned a target of 1.35 million acres for wheat cultivation. This is 50,000 acres higher than last year’s target.

Strict Action Ordered Against Overpricing and Hoarding

The agriculture minister directed field officers to ensure that approved 50-kilogram wheat seed bags were sold at the fixed price of Rs. 7,000.

He also ordered strict action against hoarding, profiteering, black marketing, and theft of canal water.

The provincial government aims to expand wheat cultivation, improve agricultural productivity, and provide financial support to farmers ahead of the upcoming growing season.