Muhammad Saleem

To educate the farming community about agricultural financing schemes and free them from the clutches of middlemen, the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan has launched the Agriculture Financial Literacy Student Ambassador Programme. Dr Muhammad Sarwar, UAF Pro Vice-Chancellor, said that the initiative would help farmers gain insight into the latest agriculture trends, which will ultimately increase their productivity. He said the farming community in the four tehsils of Faisalabad would be the target of this project, and as many as 100 UAF students had been engaged for this scheme.

To eliminate the role of middleman, he said such programmes were crucial for the well-being of cultivators and the development of the agriculture sector. “We need to devise comprehensive policies to transform our agriculture sector as Pakistan imports agricultural goods worth billions of rupees, which is a matter of grave concern. We have to reduce imports and increase exports to strengthen the economy and agriculture sector,” he said. “This is possible by educating the farmers and implementing long-term policies,” he added. Zahid Hussain, a local farmer, said he faced difficulties selling his produce directly as he was unfamiliar with the process of approaching reputed traders in the market.

Due to this situation, he said he had to collaborate with middlemen to sell his crops, and they often took a huge chunk of his profits. Speaking to WealthPK, he lauded the initiative and said middlemen were ‘stealing’ the profits of farmers, who were already struggling amid multiple challenges. “Only an educated and trained farmer can ensure the sustainability and growth of the agriculture sector,” he said, and urged policymakers to effectively implement this project. Abid Qamar, Director of Agriculture Credit & Financial Inclusion Department of SBP, said that the programme, initiated with the help of UAF, will apprise farmers of the latest trends, available financial schemes and government-driven initiatives.

He said different stakeholders, including SBP, commercial banks, federal and provincial government departments, were attached to this programme to engage farmers efficiently. “We have to strengthen our farming community. We need prosperity and self-sufficiency, which is possible by educating farmers and equipping them with modern knowledge,” he said. Shehryar Ahmed, a faculty member of UAF, told WealthPK that 11 banks were directly attached to the project, and students will be properly trained before they are sent to farmers in Faisalabad. He said that SBP aims to expand this programme to other parts of the country.

He emphasised that the UAF faculty was working hard to confront the emerging challenges because farmers must be able to make informed decisions about the agricultural practices. He said financial literacy was crucial for sustainability of farmers. “Many farmers have to compromise their profits due to their reliance on middlemen to sell their produce,” he said, adding that the programme would teach growers how to avoid middlemen and manage their finances. Ahmed said farmers’ empowerment would enable them to better understand market dynamics and have more control over their circumstances.

Credit: INP-WealthPk