The Punjab government has decided to promote cultivation of protein-rich gram pulse by providing Rs 2000 per acre subsidy to farmers under Prime Minister’s Agriculture Emergency Programme
The Punjab government has decided to promote cultivation of protein-rich gram pulse by providing Rs 2000 per acre subsidy to farmers under Prime Minister‘s Agriculture Emergency Programme.
Gram is a cheaper and potent source of protein and is cultivated on 2 to 2.2 million acre area in Punjab every year that comes around 86 per cent of total gram-cultivated area of Pakistan, agriculture spokesman said in a statement issued here Wednesday.
However, 92 percent of gram-cultivated area lies in rain-fed areas and only 8 percent in irrigated areas.
Gram that is also a source of vitamins. It absorbs Nitrogen from the air and inject into soil to improve soil fertility.
Prime Minister’s Agriculture Emergency programme covers districts of Jhang, Mianwali, Bahawalnagar, Sargodha, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Attock, Khushab, Rajanpur, Chakwal, Bhakkar and Muzaffargarh in Punjab.
Registered farmers would be able to get Rs 2000 per acre subsidy at the most for five acres.
Subsidy vouchers would be kept in gram seed bags. To claim subsidy, farmers would need to scratch the card and send the card number in an sms to 8070 in the format ‘cardnumber space CNIC’.
Reply sms would make farmers entitled to get Rs 500 immediately while the remaining Rs 1500 would be paid to them at the time of harvest.
Amount can be received from any nearby mobile merchant.
The PM’s programme would be expected to increase gram crop area and per acre yield, the release concluded.
