Chandigarh, February 26: Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the government is going to provide subsidy to the farmers of the state to purchase various machinery and set up custom-hiring centres.
He said the farmers can avail this subsidy by applying online on the department’s website agrimachinerypb.com by 28 February 2023.
The Agriculture Minister said that this step has been taken to promote agricultural machinery in the state under the Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) scheme. He said that under this scheme, farmers can avail subsidy on machines individually and through custom hiring centres, panchayats, cooperatives, rural entrepreneurs, farmer producer organizations (FPOs), registered farmer groups etc.
Dhaliwal told that for individual farmers, Laser Land Leveler, Potato Planter (Automatic), Potato Planter (Semi Automatic), Air Assisted Sprayer, Pneumatic Planter, Power Weeder (Engine/PTO Operated), Tractor Operated Fertilizer Broadcaster, Paddy Transplanter (Self Propelled) Ride on and Walk Behind), Raised Bed Planter, SubSoiler, Single Row Forage Harvester, Potato Digger, DSR Drill, Tractor Operated Sprayer (Boom Sprayer), Power Harrow, Tractor Operated Plate Planter with Pre Emergence Herbicide Strip Applicator (Lucky Seed Drill) etc., subsidy can be availed.
The Cabinet Minister said that different categories of Custom Hiring Centers falling in the cost brackets of Rs. 10 lakhs, 25 lakhs, 40 lakhs and 60 lakhs etc. would be able to get subsidy for the purchase of machines.He said that the subsidy rates for general category are 40 percent, 50 percent for specialty components, and 40 percent for custom hiring centers.
Dhaliwal invited the state’s farmers and various groups associated with farmers to take advantage of subsidies on the purchase of machines and adopt mechanization in agriculture, saying that by adopting mechanization, farmers can increase their income. He said that farmers can also meet their District Chief Agriculture Officer for more information.
