Washington: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has reiterated the government’s resolve to build a resilient, technology-driven, and inclusive agricultural economy. He was speaking at a high-level discussion titled “Agri Connect: Farms, Firms, and Finance for Jobs” organized by the World Bank Group on the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings in Washington.

According to Radio Pakistan, the session brought together global policymakers to deliberate on strengthening family farms, which represent nearly half a billion smallholders producing about 80 percent of the world’s food. The finance minister elaborated on Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to enhance agricultural productivity, improve access to finance, and strengthen the value chain from production and storage to exports.

He highlighted that the government’s policy focus is on enabling and facilitating the agriculture sector, with an aim to allow the private sector to take the lead in areas where it can perform more effectively. The Minister noted that pilot initiatives have demonstrated positive results like improved yields, higher incomes, and reduced dependence on middlemen through the introduction of formal credit mechanisms.

Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasized scaling up such initiatives by involving the financial sector and providing institutional support. Addressing the challenges posed by climate change, the Finance Minister stressed that agriculture and climate are deeply interconnected and that Pakistan is taking proactive measures to build climate resilience in the sector.

He referred to Pakistan’s ten-year Country Partnership Framework with the World Bank, under which one-third of the agenda is focused on climate resilience and decarbonization. The Minister also highlighted the government’s emphasis on research and technology in agriculture. He pointed to the strong export potential of Pakistan’s key crops, noting that rice exports alone are expected to reach about 3.5 billion dollars this year.