Karachi, October 14, 2025 – The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched the National Subsistence Farmers Support Initiative (NSFSI) under the Risk Coverage Scheme for Small Farmers and Underserved Areas, aiming to enhance access to agricultural credit for small and marginalized farmers.
According to the SBP, this digital financing initiative is aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision to modernize Pakistan’s agriculture sector and empower rural communities. The NSFSI provides an end-to-end digital solution that allows farmers to apply for collateral-free loans through a centralized online portal without visiting any bank branch. The system integrates with the Land Information Management System (LIMS) for digital verification and agronomic assessment.
A key feature of this scheme is that at least 75% of the financing will be disbursed in-kind—covering essential inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and diesel—through verified Agri-merchants onboarded by banks and microfinance institutions (MFBs). The remaining 25% can be disbursed in cash to cover additional farming expenses. Moreover, farmers will receive advisory services to improve productivity and sustainable cultivation practices.
The financing offered to small and marginalized farmers under NSFSI will include a 10% first-loss coverage along with an operational cost subsidy of Rs10,000 per borrower.
To make the initiative more accessible, the NSFSI portal and mobile app have been branded as “Zarkhez-e”, with the tagline “Asaan Digital Zarai Qarza”, representing a new era of digital agricultural financing in Pakistan.