ZARAI Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), formerly Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan, was established with the sole purpose of improving agriculture and enhancing rural economy. Over the last 50 years, the bank has gone through various economic phases.

In 1989, the bank successfully utilised $150million credit from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to provide the much-needed finance to the cash-strapped and technology-deprived rural farmers. The bank also provided combine harvester to the farmers for the first time.

However, post-1990s, all such credit lines largely ceased. Despite that, the bank has continued to strive for the betterment of the farming community in collaboration with the provinces through joint venture arrangements under the bank’s public- private partnership programme.

Under this programme, the bank has collaborated with the Balochistan government for green tractor scheme to modernise the agriculture in Balochistan.

Tractors are important and versatile tool which can significantly boost agriculture production. The Balochistan government should further collaborate with the bank in the field of agriculture and livestock for the welfare of the farmers.

Saad Khosa
Sohbatpur

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2020