KARACHI: Pakistan has begun work on a “National Agri Stack” to build digital infrastructure for its agriculture sector, aiming to boost farmer access to credit, subsidies and markets, the ministry of IT said on Friday.

Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, employing more than a third of the workforce and contributing around a fifth of gross domestic product. The sector faces persistent challenges, however, including low productivity, fragmented landholdings, water scarcity and climate shocks, while farmers often lack formal identification and credit histories needed to access finance.

The Agri Stack initiative, led by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) in collaboration with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR), the Land Information and Management System (LIMS) and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), seeks to integrate land and farmer data, deliver targeted services and improve transparency in farm support.

In simple terms, the Agri Stack will create a “digital ID and online service hub” for every farmer in Pakistan. It will gather all key information — who the farmer is, what land they own or work on, what crops they grow — into one secure system. This means the government, banks and agri companies can deliver the right help directly to the right farmer, including subsidies, loans, crop insurance, weather updates and market prices.

The system is meant to cut out paperwork, reduce delays, stop resources from going to the wrong people and give farmers better tools to grow and sell their crops.

“The Agri Stack will enable verified farmer identities, land data integration, precision advisory, and efficient delivery of services like subsidies, crop insurance, and credit,” said Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja at a stakeholder consultation in Islamabad, according to a statement from the IT ministry.

“This is the architecture for an inclusive and tech-driven agricultural transformation under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Digital Nation Pakistan, in collaboration with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).”

LIMS Director General Maj Gen (R) M Ayub Ahsan Bhatti said the platform, also called PAKGROW, would “innovate the agricultural arena of Pakistan by transforming and improving the lives of small farmers and convening policymaking.”

The consultation endorsed forming a steering committee co-chaired by MoITT and MNFSR, a technical working group on data and cybersecurity, and pilot projects over the next 12–18 months. Priority areas include smart input subsidies, weather-indexed crop insurance, credit access through alternative data, and market linkages via LIMS.

Officials said the Agri Stack would combine satellite-driven crop intelligence, digital IDs, trusted payment systems and market platforms to create a “digitally empowered agricultural future.”

If implemented effectively, experts say a national Agri Stack could help Pakistan tackle some of its most entrenched agricultural challenges by giving farmers verified digital identities, streamlining subsidy and credit delivery, and providing timely, data-driven advice on crop management.

Integrating land records, satellite imagery, and market information into a single digital platform could reduce leakages in government support programs, expand financial inclusion for smallholders, improve resilience against climate shocks and connect rural producers more directly to buyers. This would ultimately boost productivity, transparency and rural incomes in a sector that underpins both the economy and national food security.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has secured three medals, including one silver and two bronze, at the International Economics Olympiad (IEO) in Baku, according to a statement by the Pakistan Embassy in Azerbaijan.

The 2025 IEO edition, a global competition that brings together high school students from around the world to test their knowledge in economics, business and finance, was held from July 20 to 29.

Ameena Babar won a silver medal while Sarim Haseeb and Zarar Tariq secured bronze medals as part of the five-member team representing Pakistan at the competition, featuring participants from 68 countries. All three students belong to the eastern city of Lahore.

“The Ambassador welcomed the Pakistan national team which participated in the 2025 International Economics Olympiad held in Baku,” the Pakistan Embassy in Azerbaijan said in a post on X last week.

“The team won 03 medals – 01 silver and 02 bronze,” it continued. “This remarkable achievement highlights the growing potential of young Pakistani economists.”

The IEO comprises open-ended and multiple-choice alongside a business case study.

The cost of participation for the Pakistani team was borne by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

The 2026 edition of the IEO will be held in China.