Muhammad Saleem

Green Tractor Scheme, recently launched by the Punjab government, has huge potential to transform the province’s agricultural landscape by increasing productivity and reducing financial burden on the farmers.

Muhammad Ramzan, a farmer who won a green tractor, told WealthPK that it was commendable that the government was taking the initiative to alleviate the burden of growers; however, the government must ensure the quality of the tractors so that the farmers could use them efficiently instead of visiting the workshops time and again. He pointed out that in the past, substandard items like laptops, rickshaws, vehicles and other products were provided to the people at subsidized rates. One can see that such products are no longer available in the market due to their inferior quality. Even decades-old products manufactured by private firms continue to serve the people effectively.

Dr. Ahmed of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, told WealthPK that there was a lot to be done to address agriculture-related issues, which were negatively hitting the farmers and crop production. “We appreciate the Punjab government which launched the tractor scheme. It would appear a landmark initiative if implemented exactly as planned. Our farmers need modern technology and durable tools to modernize agriculture. Unless we abandon decades-olds tools, we will not be in a position to harness the true potential of our agricultural lands,” he said. Dr Ahmed said they came to know through the media that the provincial government had allocated Rs30 billion to provide subsidies to the eligible farmers.

“Now it is the paramount duty of the people at the helm to ensure transparency in the project so that the public money could not be siphoned off and eligible farmers get their rights,” he advised. Amid climate change, we need to go the extra mile to enhance agricultural mechanization, improve productivity, and reduce the labor costs. Without focusing on such issues, we cannot achieve the target of food self-sufficiency. By providing modern tractors, the government is strengthening the farmers and our local tractor industry. Muhammad Ramazan said farming was a labor- and time-intensive sector, and most small farmers were still struggling with the old equipment that was not catering to their needs.

He emphasized that only modern and affordable tools could significantly reduce the amount of time and effort. “I am hopeful that modern tractors provided by the government will help our farmers improve land preparations timely,” he said. He pointed out the high cost of energy and fuel, saying the government should ensure affordable energy and fuel. It is essential for the farmers to improve their productivity so that they can solidify their financial position. He said small farmers were struggling a lot but they were getting nothing in return because of the unbridled inflation, high cost of energy, lack of direct access to the markets, and impacts of climate change.

Credit: INP-WealthPk