LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced an immediate commencement of wheat procurement at Rs3,500 per maund and the provision of free gunny bags worth Rs6 billion to the farmers across the province.

Registered farmers will be provided 10 gunny bags per acre through the purchase centres.

Presiding over a meeting on wheat procurement, gunny bags distribution and the Green Tractor Scheme here on Tuesday, the chief minister directed that procurement from farmers be started without delay. It was decided in principle that wheat would be purchased on a priority basis from farmers holding Kissan Card.

She further ordered that payments to farmers must be ensured within 72 hours of procurement at the fixed rate of Rs3,500 per maund.

The meeting decided that strategic management committees would be established at provincial and divisional levels to monitor the wheat procurement process.

The meeting was informed that 88 per cent of farmers had expressed confidence in the provincial government’s agricultural initiatives.

The CM also announced the launch of the “Work with Punjab Government” programme, under which agriculture graduates and others will be offered internship opportunities.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2026