Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday ordered officials to draft a policy for simplifying loan access for small and medium-scale farmers.

Chairing a meeting on agricultural development and financing, he emphasized supporting farmers with less than 12 acres, by providing them with modern agricultural resources. Sharif set an end-of-month deadline for a comprehensive plan to streamline agricultural financing and modernize the loan system.

He linked Pakistan”s progress to agricultural advancement and value-added processing. The Prime Minister called for a structure to facilitate easy access to loans for modern equipment, artificial intelligence, and high-quality seeds.

He also highlighted the need for access to small-scale industrial machinery to process farm output into exportable products. Sharif noted ongoing government reforms aimed at equipping farmers with modern tools, improved seeds, AI technology, efficient water usage strategies, on-farm small industries, and other enhancements. These reforms also include training and resources for processing agricultural produce to boost exports.

The meeting included a briefing on current agricultural reforms, the Agricultural Development Bank Limited’s performance, and existing farm loan programs. Attendees included 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. Source: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting