Apply for a ZTBL Khushk Ratab Chuhara Loan in Pakistan: Up to Rs 1 Million, Repay on 15 January

You put in 10 per cent of the loan yourself, and the bank charges its markup rate on production loans. The scheme exists because ZTBL sees room to grow Pakistan's chuhara exports, and wants more date farmers to process their own crop instead of selling it fresh.

ZTBL's Khushk Ratab scheme lends up to Rs 1 million for chuhara

The limit is Rs 1 million per borrower or party. The loan pays for dehydrating dates into chuhara, the hard dried date sold across Pakistan and abroad. It is a production loan, meant to cover one season's working costs, not a long-term loan for land or buildings.

Khushk ratab is Urdu for "dry date". Chuhara is made by boiling dates and drying them until hard, which lets a grower store and sell the crop months after harvest instead of selling soft fruit at once. The working money for fuel, labour, drying space and bags is what this loan covers.

The loan is offered only in five date-growing zones

ZTBL offers the Khushk Ratab loan only in its Turbat zone in Balochistan, Sukkur zone in Sindh, Dera Ismail Khan zone in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Muzaffargarh and Jhang zones in Punjab. These are the bank's date-growing areas. Farmers outside them should look at ZTBL's general crop loans instead.

Each zone is named after its main city but serves the branches around it. Ask the nearest branch whether your village falls under one of the five zones before you prepare the file.

Outside these zones, the general Kissan Khushhal crop loan is the usual ZTBL route for a season's farm costs.

You repay the whole loan on 15 January

The Khushk Ratab loan is repaid within one year of release, on 15 January. That date falls months after the summer date harvest, when chuhara has been dried, packed and sold. The markup is ZTBL's prevailing rate on production loans, and there are no half-yearly instalments.

Our example: on a Rs 800,000 loan, your share is Rs 80,000, and the full Rs 800,000 plus markup is due on 15 January. That is our arithmetic, so ask the branch for the exact amount due in writing. Plan your chuhara sales so the money is in hand before mid-January.

Who can apply: date farmers who can repay, experience preferred

Any creditworthy date farmer who can repay can apply. ZTBL gives preference to new borrowers who already have experience of making chuhara. Old ZTBL borrowers with a good repayment record who know the work are also considered. A clean credit record matters, so check yours first.

Your record with every bank sits in the State Bank's e-CIB credit bureau. You can see it yourself through the e-CIB and Tasdeeq credit report before you apply, and clear any overdue amounts.

Documents for the Khushk Ratab loan

• A copy of your CNIC.
• The ZTBL loan application form.
• Your agricultural passbook or Fard Jamabandi, the land record.
• Two recent photographs.

Growers in Sindh can get the land record through the Sindh land record online check, and growers in KP through the KP land record service.

How to apply for the ZTBL chuhara loan

Visit a ZTBL branch in one of the five zones with your papers and a cost estimate for the season's drying work. The branch sends the case to the head office for sanction. After release, the branch manager and mobile credit officer check that the money is spent on chuhara work.

1. Confirm your branch falls in the Turbat, Sukkur, D.I. Khan, Muzaffargarh or Jhang zone.
2. Work out the season's costs: fuel, labour, drying space and bags.
3. Check your e-CIB credit record and clear any overdue amounts.
4. Collect your CNIC copy, passbook or Fard Jamabandi and two photographs.
5. Arrange your 10 per cent share and the property papers for collateral.
6. Apply at the branch, wait for head office sanction, then sign and receive the loan.

ZTBL's mobile credit officer (MCO) is the field officer who checks how the loan money is used. Keep receipts for fuel, labour and packing, because the bank checks utilisation closely under this scheme. The ZTBL helpline is 051-111-30-30-30.

Common questions

What is the ZTBL Khushk Ratab scheme?

A ZTBL loan of up to Rs 1 million for date growers who dry their dates into chuhara, offered in five date-growing zones.

Which areas can get the ZTBL chuhara loan?

ZTBL's Turbat zone in Balochistan, Sukkur zone in Sindh, Dera Ismail Khan zone in KP, and Muzaffargarh and Jhang zones in Punjab.

When do I repay the Khushk Ratab loan?

Within one year of release, on 15 January, in a single payment.

How much do I pay myself?

10 per cent of the loan amount, deposited as your self-contribution.

Can I use my father's land as security?

Yes. If you have no property of your own, ZTBL accepts a parent's or family member's property, with that person joining as a co-applicant.

What is the markup rate?

ZTBL's prevailing markup on production loans. Ask the branch for the current rate in writing before you sign.

How we verified this

What we checked and where we read it.

Last checked 14 November 2026. All terms come from ZTBL's own page, Khushk Ratab, Product for Dehydration of Dates (Chuhara), and the helpline from the ZTBL home page. The page lists no markup percentage; it says the production loan rate applies. The repayment example is our arithmetic. Terms can change, so confirm them at a branch before you commit.