MULTAN: The Rs 13 billion funding earmarked in the Punjab budget 2016-17, to provide interest-free agriculture loans and smartphones to farmers would benefit 450,000 farmers and help increase agriculture production.
Agriculture spokesman Naveed Asmat Kahlon said that interest-free loans would be provided to farmers through e-cards that would enable them draw amounts using ATMs. Under the scheme, Rs 80 billion would be disbursed among the farmers who would get agriculture loans at the rate of Rs 25000 per acre for Rabi and Rs 40,000 per acre for Kharif season.
The Rs 13 billion mark up on the loans would be paid by the government. For the first time in history, landless peasants or Mazareen would also be able to avail the benefits under this scheme, Kahlon said. The smartphones would be provided to farmers to enable them have easy access to weather forecast and advisory services of Punjab agriculture department to improve their capacity to fight odd weather conditions.
