Pakistan’s leading digital microfinance bank, Mobilink Bank has signed a crucial partnership with HBL Zarai Services Limited to advance agricultural financing for underserved communities under the ‘Zarkhez-e’ Asaan Digital Zarai Qarza Scheme.

Under this partnership, Mobilink Bank will expand access to structured, in-kind agricultural financing for farmers across Pakistan. The Bank, in collaboration with HBL Zarai services, will link financing with essential agricultural inputs and services to help ensure that credit is utilized for productive purposes and contributes to improved farm-level outcomes. Moreover, it will strengthen the efficiency of the financing process through digital channels to enable more streamlined disbursements and transactions.

Whereas HBL Zarai, as an approved Agricultural Services Provider (ASP), will enable farmers to access high-quality agricultural inputs, ongoing agronomic advisory, mechanization services on a pay-per-use basis, and structured crop offtake solutions. This closed-loop model connects financing with input utilization and market access, enhancing transparency, minimizing inefficiencies, and strengthening farmers’ economic resilience.

Commenting on the occasion, Harris Mahmood Chaudhary, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mobilink Bank, said, “Mobilink Bank remains committed to expanding access to finance in a way that is both practical and meaningful. Through our collaboration with HBL Zarai, we are bringing a more integrated approach to agricultural financing by linking credit with inputs, advisory, and market access. This helps ensure that financing is used effectively, improves outcomes, and supports more sustainable and resilient livelihoods.”

Amer Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of HBL Zarai Services Limited, added, “This partnership with Mobilink Bank is a significant step toward strengthening the delivery of structured agricultural financing. By combining financial access with on ground agricultural services, we are ensuring that financing translates into real productivity, improved yields, and better market outcomes for farmers.”

Through this partnership, Mobilink Bank and HBL Zarai aim to enhance coordination, streamline service delivery, and scale in-kind agricultural financing across key agricultural regions. The initiative supports national priorities for sustainable agriculture, financial inclusion, and inclusive economic growth to help Pakistan’s agriculture sector reach its full potential.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Fatima Fertilizer Company Limited has launched its “Sarsabz Tabeer: Seeds of Change” DVC, paying tribute to the extraordinary women who are shaping the future of agriculture in Pakistan.

The campaign recognizes the resilience, strength, and unwavering dedication of women working across the agricultural value chain; women whose contributions have long nourished communities and sustained the land despite social and economic challenges. Through powerful storytelling, “Seeds of Change” highlights the often-unseen role of rural women as farmers, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and agents of change driving agricultural progress.

At the heart of this initiative is Fatima Fertilizer’s flagship women empowerment programme, Sarsabz Tabeer, launched in 2022 to integrate rural women’s voices into Pakistan’s agricultural narrative. Built on four foundational pillars—education, financial aid, skill development, and health—the programme equips women with practical tools for financial independence and long-term resilience.

Through structured training sessions conducted by USAID-certified experts, more than 3,500 women across Pakistan have received food processing training to transform surplus farm produce into value-added, marketable products, reducing post-harvest losses and creating new income streams. The programme also provides interest-free loans to rural women entrepreneurs in collaborations with Akhuwat, enabling many to launch small scale businesses that supply products to hotels and restaurants or operate their own small retail outlets.

Additionally, the programme organizes healthcare camps in collaboration with Mukhtar A. Sheikh Hospital and the Punjab Government, offering free medical consultations and medicines to female farmers, their children, and their families. Such initiatives highlight how private-sector participation, when aligned with community needs, can contribute meaningfully to a more inclusive agricultural ecosystem.

Rabel Sadozai, Director Marketing & Sales at Fatima Fertilizer, said, “Women have always been the backbone of Pakistan’s agricultural economy, yet their contributions often remain unrecognized. Through the ‘Seeds of Change’ campaign and our Sarsabz Tabeer initiative, we aim to celebrate their resilience while creating meaningful opportunities that enable rural women to achieve financial independence and play a stronger role in shaping the future of agriculture. Empowering women is not only a social responsibility, but it is essential for sustainable agricultural growth and national prosperity.”

By highlighting real stories of empowerment, the “Seeds of Change” campaign reinforces Fatima Fertilizer’s commitment to inclusive agricultural development and female empowerment. The company continues to set a strong example for corporate Pakistan by fostering a culture that recognizes, values, and amplifies the indispensable role of women in strengthening the country’s agricultural ecosystem.