In the spirit of Salam Kissan, recognising the resilience of farmers and highlighting the challenges they face in a climate-impacted economy
This Kissan Day, extending Salam Kissan to Pakistan’s farming community carries a deeper significance. To honour their indispensable role, we must also confront the systemic challenges that now define their work. The floods of 2025 have made this unmistakably clear: Pakistan’s agriculture sector, the cornerstone of national stability and economic output, is navigating a new climate reality in which natural disasters have shifted from isolated incidents to persistent, structural disruptors of economic progress.
Pakistan remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, ranking eighth on the Global Climate Risk Index. The 2022 floods, which affected 33 million people, destroyed 8 million acres of crops, and caused nearly $13 billion in agricultural losses, should have been a turning point. Instead, frequent and intensified climate shocks have become the new normal.
The 2025 floods, arriving barely three years after the previous devastation, disrupted supply chains, damaged standing crops, and deepened uncertainty across rural markets. Early estimates put economic losses at over $2 billion, with agriculture once again absorbing the greatest proportional damage. According to initial Flood Damage Assessments, losses include 3.4 million cotton bales, 1 million tonnes of rice, and 3.3 million tonnes of sugarcane, intensifying pressure on both domestic food supply and export-linked value chains.
The impact of these climate shocks extends far beyond damaged fields, pressuring Pakistan’s wider economy through rising import bills, fiscal strain, and disrupted rural labour markets. Supply bottlenecks and reduced output are already pushing prices upward, with September’s CPI expected to rise by 3.5%–4.5% and overall inflation projected to reach 7.2% this fiscal year. For a country where nearly half of household spending goes to food, these figures reflect deepening vulnerability, underscoring a structural reality: inflation in Pakistan does not start in the marketplace but in the field, where chronic underinvestment in R&D, cold-chain logistics, irrigation, and seed innovation leaves the system exposed to every climate shock. Coupled with policy unpredictability, procurement delays, and inconsistent support frameworks, agricultural output remains significantly below its potential, incurring substantial economic costs during climate emergencies.
Pakistan’s agricultural transition must now be viewed not as a reform agenda but as an economic imperative. Climate-smart technologies, remote sensing, IoT-based irrigation, and satellite-assisted crop monitoring have already yielded gains of 10–15% and water savings of up to 30% in pilot projects. Structural transformation must include flood- and drought-resilient seed development, digitized water governance, modern storage and cold-chain networks, incentives for corporate and cooperative farming models, digital financial inclusion for smallholders, and real-time climate and pest advisory platforms. Pakistan’s economic resilience increasingly depends on such interventions.
At a time when climate shocks are accelerating, companies like Fatima Fertilizer stand out for recognising these gaps long before they became national crises. The company pioneered Kissan Day on December 18, 2019, Pakistan’s first-ever national tribute to farmers, which has since evolved into a nationwide movement, officially recognised by the Federal Government. Complementing this, the Salam Kissan initiative amplifies farmers’ voices, drawing attention to their contributions, challenges, and central role in national food security.
Beyond advocacy, Fatima Fertilizer equips farmers with modern, data-driven tools. Its Sarsabz Pakistan mobile app provides real-time weather alerts, 4R nutrient guidance, crop-stage advisories, and nutrient mapping, enabling informed decision-making under climate stress. The company has also introduced the Sarsabz Asaan app, a user-friendly platform for dealers to place orders, remit payments, and track order fulfilment in real time, enhancing supply-chain efficiency. Precision agriculture tools, high-tech tractors, and pivot-irrigation systems help optimize water and nutrient use while boosting productivity. Satellite imagery supports weather forecasting, soil moisture tracking, and crop nutrient assessment, while on-ground advisory teams train thousands of farmers annually through 52 mega seminars and accredited lab programs. Products like Nitrophos and CAN improve yields by over 10%, with this year’s wheat competition results reflecting 93 district and 3 provincial top positions, demonstrating the tangible impact of modern practices.
Financial inclusion is another key pillar. Through partnerships with JazzCash, Mobilink Bank, and ZTBL, and platforms like FasalPay ‘Grow Now, Pay Later’, farmers access collateral-free financing, lowering upfront costs and encouraging the adoption of climate-smart techniques. As the first private-sector company in Pakistan to adopt the UNDP SDG Impact Framework, Fatima Fertilizer also sets a benchmark for sustainable, technology-driven agricultural development.
Equally important is the Sarsabz Tabeer program, which champions the inclusion of rural women in agriculture. Launched in 2022, the initiative equips women with modern food processing skills, supports financial independence, reduces post-harvest losses, and strengthens local economies. Built on four pillars—education, financial aid, skill development, and health—it highlights and amplifies the indispensable role of rural women in shaping Pakistan’s agricultural future.
Despite recurring climate disasters, Pakistan’s farmers remain resilient, absorbing shocks, rebuilding livelihoods, and feeding the nation. But the floods of 2025 underscore one truth: climate resilience cannot rely on isolated efforts. If a single company can build sustainable models, empower farmers, and strengthen food security, national institutions must match this commitment with urgent, coordinated action.
Climate resilience, modern farming techniques, financial inclusion, and long-term investment are no longer optional—they are essential. Companies like Fatima Fertilizer demonstrate what is possible when technology, advisory services, and proactive initiatives converge to protect Pakistan’s food future. The choices made today will determine whether Pakistan can remain food-secure in the decades ahead.
By Rameen Malik
