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SARGODHA, Oct 23 (APP):An awareness session called ‘Kisan Mela’ was organised in Chak No 29-SB under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, with the collaboration of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in which Commissioner Muhammad Ajmal Bhatti participated as a special guest, here on Monday.
Director Agriculture Shahid Hussain, Chief Manager State Bank Waqas Kashif Bajwa, Regional Head National Bank of Pakistan Syed Ali Raza Jafri and a large number of farmers participated in the session.
The aim of the session was to inform the participants about the objectives of the National Bank’s farmer-friendly agricultural finance programme.
Addressing the event, the commissioner said the NBP had launched an easy agricultural loan scheme to benefit farmers. Through the scheme, growers would be able to increase their income, he added. He urged other banks to come forward and organise such programmes for providing guidance to the farming community and people at large. Farmer could increase their production per acre by adopting modern methods, he added.
Agriculture Director Shahid Hussain said in his address that this year the target of wheat cultivation had been set at 16 million acres across the province. A target of 36 maunds per acre had been given in Sargodha division, through which farmers would get an additional Rs 32 billion, the director said. He said farmers should complete the process of sowing their wheat by November 20. The government was giving special discount on seeds, and production per acre could be increased by choosing good seeds, he added.
Regional Head NBP Syed Ali Raza Jafari said the National Bank was providing various loans to farmers, including agricultural loans for tunnel farming, cattle purchase, cattle clinics and laboratory, purchasing tractors, agricultural machinery and agricultural loan for fish farms.
The objective of providing loans at low markup was to put the country on road to agricultural
development and to make people aware of importance of agriculture, he added.
Other officers of the bank also addressed and appealed to the participants that proper use of loans was very important.