Agri Dept invites farmers to apply for subsidised farm machinery by Dec 4

To promote agricultural mechanisation across various crops, the Punjab Government has announced the provision of farm machinery at subsidised rates under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) and the Crop Diversification Scheme.

Sharing the details, Dr Rakesh Kumar Sharma, Chief Agriculture Officer of Nawanshahr said that online applications have been invited from farmers seeking subsidy on a wide range of modern agricultural machines. Applications can be submitted on the Agriculture Department portal agrimachinerypb.com until 5.00 pm on December 4.

Dr Sharma urged farmers across the district to take maximum advantage of the scheme so that Nawanshahr continues to remain among the leading districts of Punjab in adopting farm mechanisation—helping reduce cultivation costs and conserve natural resources. For more information, farmers may contact their respective Block Agriculture Officers, Assistant Agriculture Engineers (Implements), or the Chief Agriculture Officer’s office, he said.

He added that applications are being accepted for subsidy on machines such as pneumatic planters, multi-crop threshers, sugarcane cutters, groundnut diggers, maize dryers, sugarcane harvesters, power sprayers, DSR drills for direct seeding of paddy, boom sprayers (including high-clearance models), lucky seed drills, and manual/power sprayers etc. Subsidy will be provided at 40 per cent to 50 per cent, as per scheme guidelines. All relevant rules and conditions are available on the portal.

Assistant Agriculture Engineer Chandan Sharma highlighted that during the sowing season, the use of DSR drills can significantly save water and electricity, while pneumatic planters can help cultivate crops like maize and other diversification crops more efficiently, reducing time and seed costs.

To complete the online application, farmers must upload scanned copies of their Aadhaar card, passport-size photograph, land ownership record (Fard) and caste certificate (if applying under Scheduled Caste category). For Custom Hiring Centres, cooperative societies, gram panchayats, and Farmer Producer Organisations must provide Aadhaar details of their heads/members along with their registration certificates. Applicants must apply strictly under their respective categories to be eligible for subsidies.

Dr Sharma further stated that after receiving applications, a district-level committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner will select eligible applicants through a draw, if required. Approval letters will be issued online through the portal. After receiving approval, farmers will be able to purchase machinery within the stipulated time from any empanelled manufacturer or dealer listed by the department. He advised farmers to stay in regular contact with the Agriculture Department and reach out for assistance if they face any issues while applying for the scheme.