Maryam Nawaz Sharif Launches Punjab Farmers Relief Package

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced 10 relief initiatives to support the province's agricultural sector, headlined by the establishment of Apna Kisan Bank, the first bank of its kind in Punjab. The bank will provide interest-free loans, though reports on the limits vary; some sources cite a cap of Rs.10 million for interest-free loans, while others suggest limits up to Rs.100 million. Additional loan tiers of Rs.30 million and Rs.50 million will carry interest rates of 2 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

To enhance food security, the government increased the agriculture budget from Rs.15 billion to Rs.400 billion. This funding supports high-tech mechanization and the expansion of the Green Tractor Scheme to provide 50,000 subsidized tractors. The government also increased the Kisan Card loan limit for DAP fertilizer from Rs.30,000 to Rs.33,500 per acre and set the wheat support price at Rs.4,500 per 40kg maund.

Regional developments include a transformation package for olive cultivation in Potohar and the construction of mini dams in that region, with estimates ranging from 400 to 1,000 dams. Sharif also launched a campaign against water theft to ensure irrigation reaches small-scale farmers, stating that "every field must receive water, whether the farmer is small or large, poor or influential."