Banks, regulators, and other key stakeholders gathered at the sidelines of the Agriculture Credit Advisory Committee meeting in Karachi to emphasize the growing significance of Zarkheze, Pakistan’s flagship digital platform for agricultural lending. Participants highlighted how the platform is transforming farm credit delivery through digital onboarding, standardized assessment, and improved traceability of loans, aligning with broader national goals of financial inclusion and agritech innovation.
The Agriculture Credit Advisory Committee (ACAC) brought together representatives from commercial banks, microfinance institutions, agritech firms, and fintech partners to assess agricultural credit performance and chart a path for strengthening inclusive financing. At the meeting, speakers highlighted the pivotal role platforms like Zarkheze are playing in expanding outreach to small and underserved farmers.
Pakistan’s agricultural credit landscape has seen significant growth in recent years, with farm loan disbursements reaching record levels. This expansion reflects efforts to integrate technology into credit delivery and deepen financial inclusion in rural areas.
Stakeholders at the meeting reiterated that the Zarkheze platform represents a major step toward digital transformation in agricultural finance. Unlike traditional paper-based credit processes, Zarkheze enables farmers to be digitally onboarded, undergo standardized credit assessment, and have their applications linked to land and crop information systems. This digital integration allows for end-to-end traceability of loans and ensures that credit is utilized for quality agricultural inputs through an integrated vendor network.
Speakers stressed that Zarkheze must be scaled as a core delivery channel for agricultural finance. By making small-ticket lending commercially viable and expanding outreach beyond conventional regions, the platform aims to extend formal credit access to farmers who have traditionally been excluded from mainstream banking services. This shift is critical for improving productivity, stabilizing rural incomes, and strengthening value chains in the agricultural sector.
Representatives from the banking sector also emphasized the need for internal ownership of the platform within financial institutions. Timely processing of loan applications, expansion of the vendor ecosystem, and linkage with advisory services were highlighted as essential for maximizing the platform’s impact. By connecting farmers to certified input providers and advisory support, Zarkheze is viewed not just as a credit portal but as a gateway for agritech innovation and service delivery.
Stakeholders further noted the importance of partnerships with fintech companies, agritech firms, and microfinance institutions to extend digital agricultural finance into underserved territories. Coordination with provincial governments on digitizing land records was also described as a priority to enable seamless verification and assessment processes.
The meeting also discussed complementary initiatives, including crop loan insurance frameworks to enhance resilience against calamities and electronic warehouse receipt financing to improve post-harvest liquidity and reduce distress sales. These efforts, coupled with Zarkheze’s digital lending capabilities, reflect a comprehensive strategy to modernize agricultural finance in Pakistan and embed technology at the core of credit delivery.
Participants at the ACAC meeting reiterated the commitment of banks, regulators, and partner organizations to advancing digital solutions in agricultural finance. As Pakistan continues to scale up digital platforms like Zarkheze, the collective goal remains to broaden access to formal credit, deepen financial inclusion for small farmers, and drive sustainable growth across the agriculture sector through technology-enabled lending.
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