Category: Business

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL) has added yet another feather to its cap by becoming the only microfinance institution in Pakistan to secure a ‘Positive Outlook’ credit rating from Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA) as per its latest Credit Rating Assessments issued on April 30, 2022. Moreover, MMBL is also one of the only two banks attaining a Positive Outlook in the overall banking industry- microfinance or commercial. 

The bank successfully sustained its positive outlook from the previous year and continued to remain outside of the Agency’s watchlist, while also maintaining its A/A1 rating for Long-Term /Short-Term credit profile. MMBL’s remarkable success is reflective of customers’ unflinching faith in the institution, reciprocated equally by the bank through the digitalization and diversification of its operations to better facilitate its users. 

Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, President & CEO MMBL, Ghazanfar Azzam said: “It’s an honor to be the only microfinance institution in Pakistan to secure a positive outlook from PACRA two years in a row despite the economic challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. As we adjust to the new normal, we would like to extend our earnest gratitude to our customers and stakeholders for their continued trust in us which serves as a strong force, enabling us further towards sustainable business growth. We hope to continue with the winning streak in the years to come.”

Also commenting on the achievement, Chief Finance & Digital Officer Mobilink Bank, Sardar Mohammad Abubakr said: “It is a proud moment for MMBL to be recognized as the only microfinance institution in the industry with a positive business outlook. This wouldn’t be possible without our customers’ persistent faith in us and our team’s tireless efforts to deliver on our commitments to our customers. We will continue with our winning strategy of focusing on untapped opportunities to diversify our operations and generate recurring revenue streams through the deployment of robust digital technologies, aimed at technologically revamping the banking industry in Pakistan.”

MMBL being the largest digital bank in the country has been working to foster access to finance for underprivileged and marginalized segments of society, supported by its massive digital financial ecosystem. It offers a wide range of products and services that provide easy and hassle-free access to quality financial services, empowering millions of customers users including women, households, and small and medium businesses. The digital ecosystem has helped MMBL anchor well in Pakistan’s financial market as an innovative and forward-looking financial institution. This year, the bank is celebrating its 10th anniversary of running successful operations in Pakistan, a period marked by hard work and innovation to foster digital financial inclusion and economic prosperity in the country. 

 

Xiaomi and Leica Camera announce long-term strategic cooperation: A new era of mobile imaging begins in July

On May 23rd, Xiaomi, the world’s leading consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company, and Leica Camera, whose legendary reputation is based on a long tradition of excellent quality, innovative technologies and German craftsmanship, officially announce their strategic cooperation in terms of mobile imaging. The first imaging flagship smartphone jointly developed by the two companies will be officially launched in July this year.

Founded in 2010, Xiaomi is currently the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer. Since its establishment 12 years ago, Xiaomi has always practiced the mission of “relentlesslybuilding amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology”, its smartphones and other products are sold in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. With strong R&D strength and continuous long-term investment in technology, Xiaomi has become an important leader in technological innovation in the fields of consumer electronics and smart manufacturing. And in the field of imaging, based on its long-term technical accumulation in lens optics, chips, algorithms, etc., as well as its deep understanding of mobile photography, Xiaomi provides extraordinary photography experiences including portraits, night scenes, and snapshots.

For over 100 years, Leica Camera has been creating lightweight cameras favored by street photographer pioneers and world-class optical lenses, fulfilling the passions of its community. With ingenious optical engineering and formidable craftsmanship, Leica cameras, recognizable by their ‘red dot’ branding, are German engineering at its best and continue to attract new generations of consumers who aspire to achieve “the Leica image look” and own these masterpieces of design. In addition to making precision-crafted masterpieces, Leica attracts well-known photographers and emerging new talents around the world.

Xiaomi and Leica share the same ideas regarding mobile imaging. Both companies are eager to continuously explore the optical performance and photographic experience in the mobile imaging era through extreme technological breakthroughs and aesthetic pursuits.

“Xiaomi focuses on creating the ultimate user experience and has always hoped to explore the capabilities of smartphone photography to the extreme. Xiaomi and Leica agree with each other’s pursuits and ideas and appreciate each other’s advantages and industry. This cooperation will provide a strong boost to Xiaomi’s imaging strategy. During the cooperation, from optical design to tuning aesthetic orientations, the innovative technologies, product philosophies and imaging preferences of both parties have experienced unprecedented in-depth collision and fusion,” says Lei Jun, founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi Group.

“It is an honor to announce the long-term strategic cooperation with Xiaomi today. Leica and Xiaomi are both global premium brands and during this unprecedented deep cooperation process, both parties have successively worked on the goal of providing customers a new era of mobile photography. We are convinced that the first jointly developed imaging flagship smartphone makes the pioneering progress of both companies visible. We will provide consumers in the field of mobile photography exceptional image quality, classic Leica aesthetics, unrestricted creativity, and will open a new era of mobile imaging,” adds Matthias Harsch, CEO of Leica Camera AG.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Telenor Pakistan’s digital accelerator programme, Telenor Velocity is excited to announce the startups for its much-anticipated 8th cohort. Designed to harness the power of innovation and collaboration, Telenor Velocity empowers Pakistan’s tech-startups to scale new heights in digital product and service offerings, with Telenor Pakistan’s extensive digital resources and valuable guidance.

Launched in 2016, the accelerator has to date conducted seven cohorts, with 42 graduated startups, more than eight pilot runs, $40,000 pilot investment, and $6.8 million investment has been raised, so far, by the programme’s startups.

After its announcement earlier this year in February, Telenor Velocity received 75 applications for its 8th cohort. After a detailed interview and screening process, five growth stage startups were shortlisted to partner with Velocity for an opportunity unlike any other.

This year’s cohort is focused on themes like Edtech and IoT. For its 8th cohort, Velocity finalised five startups operating in the industry verticals mentioned above; Dot & Line, Maqsad, Cricflex, KytherTek, Radical Growth Farming Solutions.

Dot & Line is an international online learning platform, matching students with vetted and certified tutor partners. Maqsad is Pakistan’s first learning app with instant solutions. The platform provides a one-stop shop for after-school academic content in a mix of English and Urdu.

Cricflex is the world’s first patented wearable technology for cricketers who want to improve their game and make it to the international arena, while KytherTek is an Artificial Intelligence of Things company working on energy and process efficiency problems in developing economies. Radical Growth Solutions, a smart irrigation optimization solution that collects real time data from the field by leveraging technology to measure a plant’s humidity, soil moisture, temperature and light intensity to determine the precise requirements for water.

Telenor Velocity is offering these startups the opportunity to scale their businesses and with exclusive access to perks like the network’s extensive retail network, 10 million MyTelenor App users, SMS/Digital Marketing, product bundling, 10 million farmers, smarter segmentation through analytics, access to Telenor Pakistan’s IoT cloud platform, and more.

The Telenor Velocity program offers startups equity-free support. This includes access to  49 million customer bases, coaching from Domain Experts, Data Analytics and Product Development Support, access to our global partner and mentor network and scaling opportunities on Telenor Pakistan Assets. For more details, please visit telenorvelocity.com.pk.

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)  Committed to making Karachi’s future more clean and green, K-Electric has renovated yet another park in the city. Located in the densely populated area of Nazimabad, Tanveer Shaheed Park had remained in an unusable condition for years, which will now provide a recreational facility to around 1,000 households in the vicinity. This development initiative was carried out under Project Sarbulandi and as a token of appreciation to the consumers for their support towards making the campaign a tremendous success in their area.

Inaugurated by Barrister Murtaza Wahab – Administrator Karachi and Adviser to Chief Minister of Sindh on Rules and regulations, in the presence of Deputy Commissioner/Administrator DMC Central – Taha Saleem and senior management of K-Electric including Director ESG – Zehra Mehdi, the park was revived in collaboration with the DMC central and area influencers of the local community. Bringing the site back to its former glory, the utility has wholly revamped it by installing swings, and bird boxes, making the much-needed repairs, and carrying out grilling work around it to make it more secure. The park has also become a part of Project 100 – an initiative to revive 100 parks in the city – launched by DC Central and envisioned by Administrator Karachi.

Elated at the occasion, Barrister Murtaza Wahab commented, “I am grateful to local governance and K-Electric for helping the city administration in renovating it and for giving a beautiful gift to the residents. We are working collaboratively to hand over a cleaner and greener Karachi to our upcoming generation.”

Commenting on the successful inauguration of the park, Director ESG at K-Electric, Zehra Mehdi, said, “At KE, we continue to strive for a better future for Karachi. Under Project Sarbulandi, we are constantly engaging the communities and working towards their sustainable development. Through our community development programs, we are prioritizing public spaces and parks to enhance the green footprint in the city so that the environment can be preserved.”

KE’s flagship project – Sarbulandi, which was initially launched in FY 2020, is furthering the goal of curbing losses and developing communities. Over 548,000 KGs of illegal hooks (Kunda) have been removed from the system since the project started, and around 3,500 Pole-Mounted-Transformers have been converted to Arial Bundled Cabling with about 378,000 New Connections made since FY 2020. Additionally, with a focus on uplifting the society, K-Electric has renovated 6 public spaces, installed 6 water-filtration plants, and organized 35 medical camps across the city as part of this project.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Representatives of different importer, distributor and retailer organization expressing their concern over banning on imports have called upon the government to introduce a fuel management plan which according to them can ensure saving of US$ 240 million per annum.

‘Only fuel management plan can bring the country out of current economic mess and reduce current account deficit if the government introduces a five-day working week in all the government offices and permit all limit working hours of private sector offices and big malls under day light saving method,’ said Khalid Usman President Progressive Group, Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer President Business Forum Lahore and various others. They said recently promulgated SRO 598 (1) 2022 even bans the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) which are daily use items and their monthly import bill is only US$ 50 million. The government also charge from 100 per cent to 150 per cent of custom duties and other taxes on this amount. They said import of petroleum products is around US$ 14.47 billion and government is also extending a cash subsidy of Rs 47 per liter. In their opinion this was the main factor behind current account deficit. They said retail sector is the second biggest contributor in the GDP after Agriculture and around 23 million people are attached with this sector and banning it would cause an irreparable loss to this sector. They said there are over 2 million retail outlets across the country and daily sale of imported items at small shops is 2 per cent of their sale, 9 per cent of the big general stores, 10 per cent of the departmental stores, 8.5 percent of the chain stories and 4 per cent of the daily sale of petrol pumps and roadside stores. They said if this sale is stopped then it would cause a reduction of 1 per cent in the national GDP besides depriving the national kitty from revenue and duties worth Rs 100 billion. They said instead the government should introduce a fuel management plan as if fuel consumption of official vehicles is curtailed by 200 liters per month can save the government US$ 240 million per annum. They said that Sunday should be observed as fuel free day in the country for a period of three months.

Secretary General Super Markets Association Muhammad Imran Saleemi, Shah Alam Market Food Head Sheikh Khalid Mahmood, Chief Organizer All Pakistan Anjum Tajran Lahore Abdul Wadood Alvi, Waqas Arshad, Faisal Arshad, Zeeshan Bakhshi and others were also present on this occasion.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Shan Foods, leading global food brand, has signed an agreement with HashMove, a global multi-modal logistics platform, for the digital transformation of its international logistics – facilitating streamlined and rapid movement of exports worldwide.

Through this partnership, HashMove will roll out a digital supply chain with an end-to-end logistics ecosystem under its Enterprise Logistics Marketplace (ELM) platform. This will create a private logistics marketplace for Shan Foods, enabling digital warehousing, online freight booking, and documentation, to real-time tracking and monitoring, while providing access to over 180 freight forwarders present on HashMove global partner network. This initiative of digitization of its logistics is in line with Shan Foods’ commitment to delivering a wholesome experience for its consumers from around the world.  

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Saadi Masood- Head of Supply Chain at Shan Foods, said, “We are pleased to partner with HashMove for developing a digital logistic platform through its end-to-end one-window solution. This will enable us overcome the supply chain chaos and hassle of disjointed industries, providing us with a private, closed-loop marketplace to process our international trade. Shan Foods is committed to driving this digital efficiency throughout its operations with the goal to serve its customers with unmatched excellence.”

Sarfaraz Alam, CEO HashMove, added, “Shan Foods is one of the leading global players in the food industry with an extensive consumer network spread across multiple countries. With HashMove’s B2B digital supply chain, we look forward to helping them in moving their commodities worldwide with efficiency.”

Lahore (Nut Desk)  FAKT Exhibitions, Pakistan’s leading exhibitions organizing company is all set to organize 16^th edition of 3P Plas Print Pack Pakistan – Country’s Pioneer and Biggest Exhibition for Plastic, Printing and Packaging industry from May 26 to 28 at Expo Centre, Lahore.

3P Plas Print Pack Pakistan is the only exhibition in Pakistan that provides a unique platform for players from plastic, printing and packaging industry to expand their portfolio by networking with other renowned companies. The trade show will be the biggest gathering of key industry leaders, top government officials, manufacturers, suppliers, traders, distributors and service providers and visitors under one roof.

3P Plas Print Pack Pakistan Exhibition will be inaugurated on May 26 by Mr. Irfan Iqbal Sheikh President – The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI). The three-day exhibition will have participation of more than 150 exhibiting companies from 10 countries including Austria, China, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Switzerland etc. which will showcase their state-of-the-art machinery and technology.

Mr. Saleem Khan Tanoli, CEO FAKT Exhibitions stated that “3P Plas Print Pack Pakistan Exhibition has played a pivotal role in the development of plastic, printing and packaging industry by introducing efficient technologies and solutions to local manufacturers and the event is bound to augment success and growth for the industry.”

For the past 15 editions, 3P Plas Print Pack Pakistan has proved to be the most comprehensive exhibition for this rapidly growing industry and successfully bridged the gap between industry suppliers and buyers.

Plastics industry in Pakistan is the second largest in South Asia. Currently, there are over 6,500 plastics processing units in Pakistan. Major concentration of plastics processors is in and around the industrial hubs of Karachi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Hyderabad and Rawalpindi. Packaging industry is attracting reasonable foreign investment as a result of rising exports and increasing local consumption.

 

Two-day media conclave and roundtable in Gwadar reviews CSR projects, socioeconomic development under CPEC

Gwadar (Nut Desk)  The initiatives in the domain of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) undertaken by China Overseas Ports Holding Company (COPHC) and other Chinese firms in Gwadar are appreciable and are aimed at the right direction, however, effective development communication and positive engagement with local communities is critical for the effectiveness and long-term success of these projects. All stakeholders should devise a mechanism for an integrated socio-economic development strategy and ensure inclusion of the hopes and aspiration of the inhabitants of Gwadar vis-à-vis CPEC.

This was the crux of a two-day media conclave and roundtable conference titled ‘CSR Initiatives in Gwadar (The Gateway to CPEC)’ co-organized by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad and the University of Gwadar in collaboration with COPHC, Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) and Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) in the strategic port town.

Speaking on the occasion, Naseer Khan Kashani, chairman, Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) stressed the importance of bringing the locals together through CSR.

“We must prioritize people over infrastructure development. Drinkable water and electricity is the top priority of the authorities in Gwadar”, he stated.

Kashani said a desalination plant of about 1.2 million gallons would become operational in six to eight months that would provide drinkable water for the locals.

Moreover, the newly inaugurated state-of-the-art Pak-China Vocational & Technical Training Institute will provide three years’ training to local youth, which is a big contribution by our Chinese friends, he added.

“Chinese authorities have also recently provided 3,000 solar panels to the poorest of the poor in Gwadar for the provision of electricity,” he informed.

While delivering the keynote speech, Zhang Baozhong, Chairman COPHC spoke at length about the experiences of his seven-year stay in Gwadar.

“We are cognizant of the fact that Gwadar deserves more rapid development to live up to the expectations of the local people. There is no denying the fact that it has developed much during the past seven years”, he remarked.

He stated three reasons for the promising prospects of Gwadar: the cooperation of the Gwadar people, its vast resources, and its strategic location.

“The inhabitants of Gwadar deserve respect and development according to their rightful demands”, Mr. Baozhong underscored.

“We are sending 20 students to China on scholarships every year. We have been running a primary school here for the last five years and soon we will construct a secondary school as well. More than 6000 solar panel units have been distributed among the people of Gwadar so far, and around 500,000 trees have been planted,” Shahzad Sultan, Country Head Marketing of COPHC informed while providing details of the CSR initiatives.

Chairman IPS Khalid Rahman highlighted the concept of CSR and elements that can improve the lives of the local inhabitants.

“We must have solution-oriented recommendations, not problem-oriented,” he said adding that positive thinking and improvement in governance will bring a huge change in the life of the people of Gwadar.

“CSR activities do not mean spending a share of your profit, it’s about creating an environment which is not harmful for the society in any way,” he added.

Professor Dr Abdul Razzaq Sabir, Vice Chancellor, University of Gwadar, in his welcome address earlier appreciated the initiatives of IPS for identifying challenges in the area.

He said giving back to the society is the biggest responsibility of corporate sector. Working on development of human resources should be the biggest priority of the government and private sector. As Gwadar is expanding after development of the port, it is important to learn from China’s experience and expertise through student exchange program. “We must train our youth to become productive elements of Gwadar.”

He was of the view that CSR must be defined in local perspective. Local issues could be considered to resolve people’s genuine and basic issues and problems through CSR initiatives.

He emphasized that engaging local community and civil society could result in better planning, befitting solutions and better implementation with local wisdom and participation.

Dr. Rashid Aftab, director Riphah Institute of Public Policy (RIPP) commented that reservations of locals must be addressed with evidence-based data sharing with all relevant stakeholders.

Jawad Akhtar Khokhar, advisor, maritime affairs, Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, earlier gave a detailed overview of the development projects in Gwadar under various modalities and highlighted the CPEC projects in Gwadar worth $2.1 billion so far.

He said so far three projects worth $314 million have been completed. These projects included Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, physical infrastructure of Gwadar Port and Free Zone Phase-1, and Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute. Another seven projects worth $1.44 billion are under implementation process. These projects include Eastbay Expressway, which is 98 per cent complete; facilities of fresh water treatment, water supply and distribution, which are 70 per cent complete; New Gwadar International Airport; Pak-China Friendship Hospital Gwadar; infrastructure of Gwadar Free Zone Phase-II; 300 MW coal power plant and 1.2 million gallons’ desalination plant.

Khokhar said under the short-term strategy the prioritized projects include provision of water in three months and electricity in five months for Gwadar, Trading Corporation of Pakistan has been authorized to import one-third cargoes at Gwadar; and completion of M-8 motorway.

Highlighting long-term strategy, he said the government is aiming to build LNG and POL terminals at Gwadar port and ensure availability of electricity, water and gas to enable phase-2 expansion of the port.

Dolat Khan, registrar, University of Gwadar and Arsalan Ali, Head of Investments, Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) also spoke on the occasion.

It may be mentioned that the media conclave and roundtable conference was attended by a number of senior journalists and academics from Karachi, Islamabad and Gwadar. The delegates also visited China-Pakistan Vocational and Technical Training Institute and other sites under CSR to witness the pace of progress. They interacted with the local students and teachers to observe their views.

ZoodPay, the digital lending platform, expands to Pakistan with landmark acquisition of Tez Financial Services

 

·         ZoodPay acquires Tez in the first-ever fintech M&A deal in Pakistan.

·         Pakistan is a high potential market for ZoodPay, with a population of over 230 million people with less than 5% benefiting from access to credit.

·         Entering the Pakistani market precedes ZoodPay’s series C round.

Lahore (Nut Desk) ZoodPay, the leading digital lending platform for e-commerce in the Middle East and Central Asia, has entered Pakistan by fully acquiring Karachi headquartered Tez Financial Services (Tez). Backed by leading investors including Planet N, Flourish Ventures (Omidyar Network) and Accion, Tez became the first fintech in Pakistan to be granted a Non-Bank Financial Company (NBFC) license in 2018 and ever since has carved out a specialized niche in the consumer lending space providing nano-loans to the unbanked and underbanked masses across 160+ cities in Pakistan. Through this acquisition, ZoodPay is positioning itself as a key new player in the digital lending and fintech industry in Pakistan.

Commenting on the expansion, Michael Khoi, CEO of ZoodPay said, “Pakistan is a market brimming with potential given the number of people seeking access to credit facilities. We’re confident that by combining ZoodPay’s unique ecosystem and experience operating in frontier markets with Tez’s local know-how, strong team and ecosystem partnerships, we’ll be able to positively impact the life of Pakistani people and empower them by giving them access to easy, affordable and reliable digital financial services”.

In the absence of credit histories and credible data, conventional players have been unable to assess risk, deterring their interest in serving the masses – resultantly less than 5% individuals in Pakistan have access to formal credit. ZoodPay aims to address this problem by leveraging its holistic B2B2C digital-lending ecosystem. The company’s lending strategy is fortified by three integral elements of digital infrastructure including, (i) Acquisition of consumers and merchants via its diverse distribution channels including its own e-commerce marketplace and network of retailers and partners, (ii) Deriving rich transactional data from its internal universe of fintech, e-commerce marketplace and logistics, and (iii) Leveraging its proprietary credit scoring algorithms to assess credit risk and extend credit to both consumers and merchants. This dynamic ecosystem is supplemented by the combined strengths of ZoodPay and Tez, whereby ZoodPay brings its supreme execution ability from regional markets with almost 10 million users across five countries and Tez brings deep insights into digital consumer lending with a successful track record in mitigating default levels.

Sharing their views, Naureen Hyat and Humza Hussain, Co-founders of Tez articulated, “We started Tez with an ambition to make access to finance for the masses as easy as access to a mobile phone. We are humbled and thrilled by the confidence shown in our business model by larger regional players and look forward to the next level of development for Tez where our learnings in crafting the digital lending journey and managing risk can serve as a foundation for delivering consumer-centric lending solutions at scale, while creating credit histories for the masses.”

ZoodPay has raised US$50 million to date, with participation from leading global and strategic investors including Zain, the leading MENA-based telecom entity and London based VC Fund Sturgeon Capital. The company has launched its Series C round, part of the proceeds of which will be allocated to ZoodPay’s expansion into Pakistan. With a population of over 230 million people, half of whom are young and digitally-savvy, over 100 million smartphones and 90% internet coverage, Pakistan represents a clear high potential market, with a dire need of formal credit.

Sharing his views on this transaction, Nadeem Hussain, Chairman of Tez said, “The Pakistani startup ecosystem has hit its inflection point. In addition to sizable fundraises, acquisitions of local players by international players are starting to take place. This further validates the global value Pakistani startups are creating. Planet N was one of the first in the market to invest in startups. We are now seeing the first mover advantage.”

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Syngenta is a leading multinational enterprise, revolutionizing the global agricultural sector, with its innovative products and solutions. Syngenta Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited recently organized a policy dialogue on sustainable agriculture in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. This event was also in sync with Syngenta’s vision to achieve food security through higher yields & productivity by deploying new technologies in the country.

The session brought together key stakeholders from the public, private, development, and academic sectors, including; the Secretary – Agriculture Department of KPK, Director General (DG) Agriculture Extension of KPK, DG Environmental Protection Agency of KPK, Vice-Chancellor University of Agriculture Peshawar and representatives from prestigious institutions like; UNDP, UN-FAO, Plant Protection Department, Pakistan, Sustainable Development Unit-KPK and the University of Peshawar. Providing insights about the KPK government’s valuable initiative for the restoration of over 900,000 acres of agricultural land in KPK, the Provincial Secretary of Agriculture highlighted the need for immediate actions to deal with climate change and food security issues in the province.

Other distinguished speakers shared their expertise about the global best practices and suggested valuable contributions to enable sustainable agriculture in the province. A way forward for making the country and the province food secure was also discussed, while the participants urged the agricultural sector and its peripheral industry for coordinated efforts to deal with overlapping crises of: Food insecurity, climate change, water scarcity and rising temperatures, across the country. Participants appreciated the pivotal role played by Syngenta’s innovative crop protection, crop enhancement, seed care products and seeds, in promoting sustainable agriculture and food security, all over Pakistan. They lauded Syngenta’s efforts to initiate a policy discourse on sustainable agriculture in the province and the company’s pioneering solutions that promise higher farm-profits, crop quality and convenience for the farmers.

The Head of Business Sustainability and Crop Protection Development at Syngenta Pakistan – Mr. M. Tauseef ul Haq stated that: “This was a truly insightful conference and I would like to thank the key stakeholders of the agricultural sector for their great response to this forum.” Over the years, Syngenta has evolved a wide range of solutions to protect and enhance all major crops (including Cotton, Wheat, Rice, Sugarcane, Corn, Vegetables and Fruits) from pests, diseases, rough weather and environmental stress through its crop protection, biologicals, biopesticides, seed and other crop enhancement products. Healthy farm produce gives higher profits, convenience and quality to fetch a higher market price for the farmers and accelerate their socioeconomic growth. Syngenta’s “Naya Savera” an exclusive network of over 850 franchise centers – provides its whole range of products along with seed-treatment facilities to the farmers to ensure peace of mind for the growers. Syngenta revolves around addressing the challenges faced by growers in order to contribute towards sustainable agriculture growth and subsequently providing greater food security.