HYDERABAD: Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, hosted the “Agri-Business Linkages and Building Mela 2025”, a landmark event aimed at reshaping Pakistan’s agricultural landscape through innovation, technology, and farmer empowerment. The fair marked a vital step toward enabling farmers with direct access to markets, reducing their dependency on intermediaries, and fostering sustainable agricultural growth.
The event, organized under Roshan SAP in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP), brought together a wide spectrum of stakeholders from across Pakistan’s agri-sector, including agribusiness companies, policymakers, researchers, and farming communities.
Dozens of national and regional enterprises showcased cutting-edge farm machinery, seed varieties, fertilizers, pesticides, food products, cultural handicrafts, and innovative agro-based technologies. The exhibition drew large participation from farmers, students, researchers, faculty members, and representatives of government and non-governmental organizations.
The Mela was inaugurated by Vice Chancellor Meritorious Professor Engr. Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal, ITC’s Shehnaz Kapadia, and Dr. Sabir Hussain Shah, who later toured the stalls and interacted with exhibitors.
In his keynote address, Dr. Altaf Ali Siyal underscored the need to modernize agricultural marketing systems, calling it “one of the weakest links in country value chain.” He stated that farmers often fail to receive fair compensation due to poor planning and lack of marketing infrastructure. Dr. Siyal emphasized the importance of a national crop zoning policy aligned with regional requirements to balance production, minimize imports, and stabilize local markets.
ITC representative Shehnaz Kapadia highlighted that Sindh’s farmers must embrace digital transformation by integrating technology, e-marketing, and cooperative business models. She stressed that “farmer-led organizations can revolutionize the rural economy by directly connecting growers with buyers, enabling fair trade and improved access to inputs such as fertilizers and seeds all without middlemen.”
Livestock Deputy Director Syed Sabir Ali Shah urged the farming community to strengthen their digital literacy and engage with online trading platforms to enhance their market outreach.
Meanwhile, Roshan SAP CEO Syed Saddam Ali Shah announced the launch of Pakistan’s first farmer-led digital platform, designed to integrate modern marketing systems, advanced technology, and climate-smart agricultural practices. He added that the initiative aims to strengthen linkages between growers and both national and international value chains, paving the way for a more resilient and profitable agri-sector.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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