ISLAMABAD, Jul 17 (Alliance News): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed authorities to present a comprehensive policy framework by the end of this month for providing easy loans to small and medium-scale farmers to modernize agriculture and boost agri-financing in Pakistan.
Chairing a review meeting on agricultural development and agri-financing, the prime minister emphasized prioritizing support for farmers owning less than 12 acres of land. He called for immediate planning to equip them with modern agricultural facilities, including artificial intelligence tools, quality seeds, and access to machinery.
The prime minister stressed that the country’s economic progress was directly linked to the transformation of its agriculture sector through value addition and technology. He instructed that easy loan schemes should be tailored to support the purchase of modern equipment and technology-based interventions.
He also directed the preparation of a plan to ensure farmers can access small-scale industrial machinery to process produce into export-ready goods. The initiative is aimed at enhancing Pakistan’s agricultural exports by improving on-farm industrial capacity and training.
Prime Minister Shehbaz noted that the government was actively accelerating agricultural reforms to provide a full package of support—ranging from modern tools and seeds to training and better water management.
During the meeting, a detailed briefing was given on the performance of the Agricultural Development Bank Limited and the existing loan disbursement systems for farmers. The prime minister underscored the need to reform and modernize these systems to make them more efficient and farmer-friendly.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Rana Tanveer Hussain, Advisor to the Prime Minister Muhammad Ali, Ministers of State Bilal Azhar Kiani and Abdul Rehman Kanju, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, Governor State Bank Jameel Ahmed, Chief Coordinator Musharraf Zaidi, and other senior officials were present at the meeting.
