On December 18, 2019, a historic initiative took root. Fatima Fertilizer introduced Kissan Day, a first-of-its-kind celebration to recognize and pay tribute to the unwavering contributions of Pakistani farmers. This day not only acknowledges their resilience and sacrifices but also provides a platform to address their challenges and bring them to the forefront of national discourse.
Recognized officially by the Federal Government as Pakistan’s National Kissan Day, December 18 stands as a testament to the vital role of farmers in shaping the country’s economy and ensuring food security.
As Pakistan prepares to celebrate the sixth Kissan Day, its significance continues to grow.
The day provides an opportunity for the nation to express gratitude for the tireless efforts of farmers who face numerous challenges, from climate change to economic hardships while ensuring no family goes hungry. It is a moment to reaffirm collective support for the agricultural community and recognize their indispensable contributions to the country’s prosperity.
The agriculture sector remains a cornerstone of Pakistan's economy, contributing 24% to the GDP in 2023-24 and achieving an impressive annual growth rate of 6.25%. This growth underscores the critical role of farmers in sustaining the nation’s economy and ensuring food security. Yet, life as a farmer is far from easy.
Farmers adapt to changing weather patterns, embrace new techniques when possible, and persevere despite limited resources and unpredictable climates. Their resilience is commendable, but their hopes for recognition and support remain unmet in many ways. Every meal we enjoy tells a story of a farmer’s relentless dedication.
Behind each grain, loaf, or vegetable lies months of hard work—tending crops, battling pests, and braving unpredictable weather.
Despite investing 9,000 hours for a single harvest, farmers often go unrecognized and undercompensated. They ensure food security for all while enduring immense challenges. It’s time to honor their unwavering spirit, not just on Kissan Day but every day, acknowledging the hands that feed us and the hope they embody.
As the visionary behind Kissan Day, Fatima Fertilizer has consistently demonstrated its unwavering commitment to the agricultural community. Beyond initiating this significant day, the company has taken strides to drive policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and on-ground support for farmers. Through its efforts, Fatima Fertilizer aims to spotlight the immense sacrifices of farmers, advocate for essential policy changes that benefit the agricultural sector, and inspire collective action to address farmers' challenges and foster agricultural prosperity.
The company’s partnerships, including collaborations with UNDP to integrate the SDG Impact Framework, further exemplify its dedication to sustainability and farmer welfare. By focusing on renewable energy, soil health, and women’s empowerment, Fatima Fertilizer aligns its operations with global sustainability goals.
Fatima Fertilizer’s commitment to sustainability is affirmed by its IFA Protect and Sustain certification, conducted by SGS, ensuring minimal health and environmental impacts. Its MukhtarGarh laboratory, accredited by PNAC, upholds global standards in fertilizer testing.
A key highlight of Fatima Fertilizer’s initiatives is its flagship program, SarsabzTabeer, which focuses on empowering rural women. The program offers vocational training in food processing, equipping women with skills to transform raw agricultural produce into marketable products.
Over 1,000 women have benefited from workshops held in Faisalabad, Khanewal, and Lodhran, enabling them to generate sustainable incomes and reduce post-harvest losses.
Fatima Fertilizer’s SarsabzKahani web series highlights inspiring stories from Pakistan's rural community, focusing on female farmers. Episodes feature Nazo and Jugnu’s resilience and cricket star ShahnawazDahani’s journey from Larkana's fields to national fame.
The series celebrates rural contributions, showcasing their vital role in Pakistan’s agricultural and social fabric. Fatima Fertilizer is also dedicated to reviving traditional rural sports like kabaddi and tent pegging, beloved by the farming community. Through its partnership with the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation, the company hosted the SarsabzKabaddi Pakistan Cup 2023 and helped rejuvenate tent pegging. These initiatives celebrate rural heritage while boosting Pakistan’s global image, as reflected in the international recognition earned by local athletes.
Fatima Fertilizer leverages digital platforms to modernize agriculture and empower farmers. The Sarsabz Pakistan App provides real-time weather updates, market intelligence, technical advisory services, and tools like soil and water testing to support informed farming decisions.
FasalPay, through its "Grow Now Pay Later" program, bridges the gap between farmers and formal banking, offering financing for inputs, mechanization, and risk management.
The agri-fintech that connects farmers and retailers with banks and agri-businesses to maximize crop yields and profitability through aggregation and end-to-end engagement.
SarsabzAsaan, a dealer management system, streamlines supply chain operations with real-time order tracking and payment solutions. Complementing these, live podcasts and video tutorials equip farmers with valuable knowledge on best practices and market trends, driving innovation and growth in the sector.
Kissan Day 2024 marks a significant milestone in Pakistan’s ongoing journey to empower and recognize its farmers. With Fatima Fertilizer at the helm, this celebration transcends a simple acknowledgment; it serves as a platform for action, inspiring both governmental and private sectors to collaborate for the betterment of farmers.
As the agricultural landscape continues to evolve, Fatima Fertilizer remains committed to fostering resilience, sustainability, and innovation in the sector. On Kissan Day 2024, we are reminded that the future of Pakistan’s agriculture is rooted in the empowerment of its farmers, and Fatima Fertilizer’s unwavering dedication is a beacon of hope for the farming community.
The agriculture sector of Pakistan
Pakistan has a diversified economic base with the agriculture sector, contributing 24 percent in GDP and 37.4 percent in employment. The predominance of agriculture in the economy indicates that agricultural growth is a critical driver of economic growth, employment, and poverty reduction, given its linkages with the other sectors.
The promising crop production during the Kharif season of 2023 exhibited steady export growth – led by rice – while cotton imports decreased significantly due to better domestic output.
Credit facilitation, certified seeds, fertilizer use, and on-farm management techniques played the primary role in better yield of crops, that may be sustained depending on the agriculture policy of the government and the self-reliance of the farmers.
Better economic returns have motivated farmers to go for other crops, indicating diversification when put into perspective. Focusing on improving yield through mechanizing farming and focusing on food security are priorities of the government.
As such, the government has been focusing on providing targeted subsidies for purchasing inputs at affordable prices, whereas support prices, where required, are also announced to ensure the profitability of the farmers.
The prioritization of the agriculture sector, as a primary focus of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), shows the government's seriousness to make the agriculture sector the backbone of the economy. However, changing climatic patterns and natural disasters will remain threats, highlighting the importance of mitigation and adaptation measures.
Agriculture Performance 2023-24
The agriculture sector in Pakistan witnessed robust growth in 2023-24, with an overall increase of 6.25 percent. Notably, the crops saw a remarkable growth of 11.03 percent, a significant improvement compared to the previous year. Within this sub-sector, important crops experienced a substantial surge, growing by 16.82 percent, showing a solid recovery and significant production increase.
Other crops had a modest growth of 0.90 percent, showing stability but not contributing as significantly to the overall growth. The main attributes of this growth include fruits (8.40 percent), vegetables (5.77 percent), and pulses (1.45 percent).
Cotton ginning saw a remarkable 47.23 percent increase, reflecting a massive rebound from previous declines, and significantly boosting the overall crop sub-sector.
The livestock sub-sector maintained steady growth, increasing by 3.89 percent, slightly higher than its growth in the previous year. This indicates sustained and stable performance in livestock production.
Furthermore, forestry growth decelerated to 3.05 percent from a peak of 16.63 percent in the previous year. While this represents a slowdown, it still contributed significantly to the overall agricultural growth. Fishing also saw a modest increase, growing by 0.81 percent, slightly higher than the previous year's growth.
As such, this steady growth indicates ongoing stability in fishing. Water availability during Kharif 2023 increased to 61.9 Million Acre Feet (MAF) from 43.3 MAF during Kharif 2022 (Flood year) and remained at par with the requirements of Kharif crops. While, for Rabi 2023-24, it is recorded at 30.6 MAF, showing an increase of 4.1 percent over the same season last year.
Excerpts from Economic Survey of Pakistan 2023-24.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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