LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to provide smart phones to five million small farmers to educate them regarding the modern farming techniques.

In an interview on Sunday, Punjab Information Technology Board Chairman Dr Umar Saif stated that these phones will provide useful information to farmer community.

He said that these smart phones will also be utilised to provide interest free loans as well. He added that a database of small farmers is being finalised in this regard.

The provincial government had earlier approved a programme to provide interest free easy loans to 500,000 small farmers. The approval was given at a meeting in Lahore on August 21, with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in the chair.

These loans will be provided for the Rabi and Khareef crops, through banks and financial institutions. The chief minister had said the provincial government would bear the mark up of these loans.