Recorder Report

KARACHI: Engro Fertilizers and Bank Alfalah Limited has announced a strategic partnership to launch Rs 250 million financing for farmers across Pakistan aimed at empowering farmers across the country through enhanced lending facilities.

This collaboration will extend financing of up to Rs 1 million to farmers registered through Engro Markaz outlets and UgAi – the first integrated agricultural e-commerce platform for Pakistan.

The signing ceremony took place at Bank Alfalah’s Head Office in Karachi and was attended by senior leadership from both the organizations, including Ali Rathore, CEO of Engro Fertilizers; Atif Bajwa, President and CEO of Bank Alfalah Limited; Atif Mohammad Ali, Vice President of Marketing at Engro Fertilizers; along with other senior executives.

The pilot initiative will be launched with a total funding allocation of Rs 250 million (comprising both secured and unsecured components), offering average loan amounts of approximately Rs 0.6 million to 300–350 farmers.

With an estimated reach of up to 2,000 beneficiaries, the programme marks a critical step in forging a direct value chain between the fertilizer provider, the financing institution, and the end-user farmer, ensuring resources flow efficiently from source to soil with a robust value-chain. Currently, the program will be accessible through four Engro Markaz locations across Pakistan: Sahiwal, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, and Muridke.

The project is designed to enhance financial access for farmers, providing them with clean and collateral-based lending solutions tailored to their needs. These credit facilities offer subsidized interest rates up to 4.5% lower than the market rates, enabling farmers to purchase high-quality Engro fertilizer products, directly contributing to improved crop yields, and a significant increase in their overall income and livelihood. The collaboration also features for digitization of payments and implementation of a closed loop spending solution via P2M (Person-to-Merchant) transaction enablement.

On this development, Ali Rathore, CEO of Engro Fertilizers, has said that Engro Fertilizers is remain committed to supporting Pakistani farmers, who play a vital role in sustaining our country’s economy.

He said that his collaboration with Bank Alfalah is a meaningful step toward improving farmers’ access to financial resources, enabling them to invest in quality inputs, enhance productivity, and work toward a more secure future.

“We hope this initiative contributes to the broader goal of promoting sustainable agriculture and strengthening the resilience of farming community,” he concluded.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025

Published Date: July 26, 2025