The upcoming Agri-Connections Conference and Expo will focus on Pakistan’s growing food security challenges, climate-related risks facing farmers and opportunities for investment in the agriculture sector.
Speaking to the media at a briefing at a local hotel on Tuesday, Pakistan Agricultural Coalition (PAC) CEO Kazim Saeed said food security had evolved from a national and regional concern into an issue affecting households across Pakistan, as farmers increasingly faced climate-related challenges.
He said the Agri-Connections Conference and Expo would be held at the Lahore Expo Centre from October 1 to 2 under the theme, “Food Security and Agri-Investment in the Era of Climate Change.”
Saeed said Pakistan’s exports remained below their potential partly due to food safety concerns, adding that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) would discuss the issue during the conference.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), he added, would highlight the role of the private sector in the transition from a government-controlled to a deregulated wheat market.
The event will also highlight developments in the livestock sector, including recent IPO activity, as well as the emerging ecosystem supporting shrimp farming, he said.
According to Saeed, companies involved in olive oil and chilled meat exports through international partnerships will also participate, while the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) will co-host an agri-investors’ roundtable with PAC.
He said PAC worked with farmers, policymakers, regulators and development partners, connecting major business groups and global reinsurers with Pakistan’s agriculture sector as well as startups seeking investment to develop solutions for farmers.
Saeed said the federal government was building an ecosystem to improve farmers’ access to finance, including credit tied to quality agricultural inputs, collateral-based lending, financing for agribusinesses and crop insurance.
He said PAC had been tasked by the federal government with leading efforts on crop insurance and was also working with the government on expanding the electronic warehouse receipts system.
The State Bank of Pakistan is leading the Zarkheze framework for agricultural credit, while the SECP is overseeing work on crop insurance, he said.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government is expanding credit facilities for small farmers, revising its wheat deregulation framework and promoting farm mechanisation.
Saeed added that the Sindh government was working on a legal framework to enable farmers to organise collectively and strengthen their bargaining power in markets.
He stressed that the success of these initiatives would depend on greater participation from Pakistan’s private sector.
