To promote agro-diversification and mechanization in the State to further increase the farmers’ income, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian on Sunday 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 also appealing the farmers to apply by July 20, 2023, to take maximum advantage of the scheme.
Divulging further, Khuddian said that the state’s farmers can apply online at the Department’s portal — agrimachinerypb.com — by July 20, 2023, to avail the benefit of this scheme.
“The subsidy is being provided on the purchase of Paddy Transplanters, DSR Drill, Potato Planter (Automatic or Semi-Automatic), Tractor Operated Boom Sprayer, PTO Operated Bund Former, Oil Mill, Mini Processing Plant, and Nursery Seeder,” said the Minister.
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, 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.
At the same time, he also directed the Department officials to ensure complete transparency in the whole process.