Punjab Sets Wheat Cultivation Target and Support Price for New Season
The Punjab government has set a wheat cultivation target of 16.5 million acres for the upcoming season and fixed the support price at Rs. 4,500 per maund to protect farmers' interests and strengthen national food security.
Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani announced the measures while chairing a review meeting at the Commissioner's Office on Wednesday. The decisions arrive as provincial authorities attempt to secure agricultural output and manage the domestic food supply against rising operational costs for growers across the region.
Wheat serves as a staple food crop across the country, making cultivation targets a central priority for provincial planners. By establishing a guaranteed support price, the administration intends to provide financial stability to agrarian communities who face fluctuating market rates for fertilizers, seeds, and irrigation water.
Punjab Expands Financial Support for Farmers
Kirmani said the government had allocated Rs. 150 billion under the Kissan Card program to help farmers purchase agricultural inputs, while Rs. 425 billion in interest free loans had been disbursed over the past two and a half years. These fiscal interventions aim to bridge the liquidity gap that often prevents smallholders from acquiring necessary supplies before planting begins.
Financial inclusion and targeted subsidies form the core of the provincial strategy to modernise farming practices. Officials maintain that easing credit access directly translates to higher crop yields and better overall economic conditions in rural districts.
Kirmani said the government had also distributed 45,000 tractors at subsidized rates under the Green Tractor Scheme. In addition, the Punjab Seed Corporation had provided a subsidy of Rs. 450 million on certified wheat seeds to encourage farmers to use quality inputs.
Division Wise Cultivation Targets Across Punjab
Reviewing cultivation targets across different divisions, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Shakeel Ahmad Mian said Lahore Division had been assigned a wheat cultivation target of 1.35 million acres for the upcoming season, representing an increase of 50,000 acres from the previous year. Administrative bodies across other divisions received specific acreage goals to ensure the overarching provincial target is met.
Agricultural extension workers collaborate with local landowners to monitor soil conditions and promote best practices ahead of the sowing window. Officials review divisional progress regularly to identify potential shortfalls in water availability or fertilizer distribution before they impact final output.
Government Warns Against Seed Price Violations
The agriculture minister directed field officers to ensure that approved 50 kilogram bags of wheat seed 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.
Regulatory enforcement teams operate across rural markets to check compliance with official pricing schedules. Unauthorized markups on essential farming inputs trigger immediate penalties under administrative orders designed to protect cultivators from exploitation during peak demand periods.
The measures are part of the provincial government's efforts to increase wheat cultivation, support agricultural productivity, and protect farmers during the upcoming growing season.
