ISLAMABAD: The government has prioritised investment in the olive and dairy sectors, and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) has significantly increased financing for small dairy farmers, disbursing Rs 60 billion under dairy financing, including Rs 13 billion under the Prime Minister’s Kissan Package at concessional rates over the past three years.
These remarks were made by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and ZTBL President Tahir Yaqoob Bhatti at the Hand-in-Hand National Agriculture Investment Summit 2026 on Olive and Dairy Sectors, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
The minister said that the government has prioritised investment in the olive and dairy sectors as part of its broader strategy to strengthen agriculture and ensure food security.
He said vast potential of the olive sector, stating that its development could reduce Pakistan’s edible oil import bill by up to USD 3 billion. Pakistan is the world’s fifth-largest producer of milk, offering significant opportunities for growth. He added that there is strong potential to expand exports of value-added dairy products.
The ZTBL president said that the bank is the country’s largest agriculture financing institution with a nationwide rural footprint. The ZTBL has significantly expanded dairy sector lending for small farmers by disbursing Rs 60 billion under dairy financing with Rs 13 Billion under Prime Minister Kissan Package at a concessional mark-up rate, during last three years.
He also highlighted ZTBL’s development-oriented approach that combines financing with advisory services and on-farm innovation.
A key feature highlighted was ZTBL’s ginger intercropping experiment in olive orchards, undertaken at the Bank’s demonstration farm in Islamabad in collaboration with Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad. The initiative demonstrated successful cultivation of ginger under olive trees, enabling farmers to generate additional income during the early, non-bearing years of olive plantations.
Bhatti further shared ZTBL’s establishment of a state-of-the-art olive oil extraction and packaging unit at its Islamabad demonstration farm, providing free extraction services to olive growers to promote value addition.
On the sidelines of the Summit, ZTBL set up an information and demonstration stall, which attracted strong interest from participants. The stall showcased farm and value-added products along with informational brochures and leaflets to create awareness among farmers about ZTBL’s financing schemes and advisory services.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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