The Punjab government has launched a significant agricultural support initiative in response to a crisis where tractor prices have more than doubled in the last five years, making essential machinery inaccessible for many small and medium-sized farmers. The overwhelming demand for aid was underscored as Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the third phase of the Green Tractor Program, for which 427,000 farmers applied for 10,000 available units.
During the ballot for the scheme held on Sunday, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif personally called some of the successful applicants to deliver the news. Speaking to Hamza Liaquat, a farmer from Bahawalpur, she said, “This is your Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz speaking. Congratulations, your tractor has been selected in the draw.”
Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, briefing on the initiative, detailed that in this phase, 10,000 tractors of 50 to 65 horsepower will be allocated to farmers owning five acres of land.
The current phase is part of a larger plan to distribute a record 31,000 tractors over two years. This figure is in stark contrast to the 20,000 agricultural vehicles provided over the past 25 years. According to official data, 21,000 tractors have already been provided to growers in the two previous phases of the program.
The briefing highlighted the dire need for mechanization in the province’s agricultural economy. Officials stated that Punjab currently has a ratio of 140 tractors per 10,000 acres of land, a figure less than half the average of other countries. The continuous increase in machinery prices had made it extremely difficult for growers to purchase tractors at full price.
“The Green Tractor Scheme is transforming the agricultural landscape,” said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. She added that her political party, the Pakistan Muslim League (N), has “always focused on the welfare of farmers.”
The provincial administration confirmed that in 2024, it has placed a special focus on enhancing the use of agricultural machinery to boost the sector’s productivity and support its workforce.