PUNJAB GOVT TO GIVE BOOST TO SUBSIDISED AGRO-MACHINERY; FARMERS CAN APPLY BY JULY 20

Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian appeals farmers to take maximum advantage of the scheme

Chandigarh: In a bid to promote agro-diversification and mechanization in the state to further increase the income of farmers as desired by Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Mr. Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said that the department is working on a strategy to boost the initiative of providing state-of-the-art machineries to the farmers at subsidized rates.

The department has invited applications for availing subsidy on various agriculture machineries under the Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) scheme, said the Minister while appealing the farmers to apply by July 20, 2023 to take maximum advantage of the scheme.

Divulging further, Mr. Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said that the farmers of the state can apply online at the department’s portal agrimachinerypb.com by July 20, 2023 to avail the benefit of this scheme. He said that the subsidy is being provided on the purchase of Paddy Transplanters, D.S.R. Drill, Potato Planter (Automatic/ Semi-Automatic), Tractor Operated Boom Sprayer, PTO Operated Bund Former, Oil Mill, Mini Processing Plant and Nursery Seeder.

The Agriculture Minister said that the farmers should contact the toll-free number 1800-180-1551 and visit Agriculture Offices of their respective districts for more information in this regard.

Terming the step cost-effective for farmers, Mr. Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said that by adopting mechanization, farmers can increase their income and it would also go a long way to promote water saving techniques, crop diversification and MSMEs in the agricultural sector. He also directed the department officials to ensure complete transparency in the whole process.