Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department invites applications for subsidised machinery

Chandigarh, July 24

With an aim to enhance the reach of farm mechanisation to the farmers of the state, the Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has invited applications from farmers for availing themselves of subsidies on various agriculture machines under the Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) scheme. The subsidy worth Rs 21 crore would be given to the beneficiary farmers through direct benefit transfer (DBT).

Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said that to avail themselves of the benefits of the scheme, farmers may apply for it by August 13. He said the subsidy was being provided for the purchase of machines such as pneumatic planters, potato planters (automatic or semi-automatic), potato diggers, paddy transplanters, and DSR seed drills, among others.

Khuddian said individual farmers, farmer groups, cooperative societies, panchayats, and FPOS may avail of a 40 per cent subsidy on the purchase of machinery, and farmers who belong to the Scheduled Castes, women, small farmers, and marginal farmers would get a 50 per cent subsidy.