LAHORE: The per acre loan limit in the second phase of Punjab Kissan Card has been increased to Rs40,000 with a reduction in the loan processing fees as well.

This was stated by Agriculture & Livestock Minister Ashiq Karmani held at the Bank of Punjab Head Office here on Tuesday to discuss the recovery process of Phase-1 of the Kissan Card scheme and evaluate the mechanism for Phase-2.

Punjab Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo and Bank of Punjab President Zafar Masud also attended the meeting.

The minister expressed the confidence that the repayment rate in Phase-1 would be encouraging and emphasised the need to facilitate farmers by allowing them to repay loans through JazzCash also.

The recovery period for Kissan Card loans is from April 15 to May 15, but farmers are encouraged to repay by April 30 to become eligible for Phase-2 starting from May 1.

In Phase-2, farmers owning up to 25 acres of land will be included and the Punjab government has allocated Rs75 billion for 750,000 loan beneficiaries.

Through the Kissan Card, farmers will now be able to purchase not only agricultural inputs but also diesel. The card holders will receive 30 per cent cash and 25pc diesel as part of their loan facility.

The minister was told that 1,866 PSO petrol pumps have been registered to facilitate diesel distribution, while 3,250 merchants of farm inputs have been registered across Punjab.

Secretary Sahoo stressed the importance of using social media campaigns to inform farmers about the repayment process time frame for Phase-1 loans. He also instructed the Agriculture Extension Department’s district and tehsil level staff to fully cooperate with designated representatives of the Bank of Punjab for loan recovery.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2025