Check Farm Loans in Pakistan: Lenders Gave Farmers Rs 2,161.6 Billion in Nine Months
Lenders gave Pakistan's farmers Rs 2,161.6 billion from July to March 2026, up 15 percent. See 46 lenders, who lends most and five SBP schemes to check first.
Short answer: Banks and lenders gave farmers Rs 2,161.6 billion in the nine months to March 2026, up 15 percent, says the Economic Survey. Forty-six lenders offer farm loans. Farmers with subsistence holdings got Rs 554.66 billion, 42 percent more than a year before.
A farm loan is easy to promise and harder to get. Farmers say the bank asks for papers, the paper asks for a visit, and the visit takes weeks. The Finance Division's Economic Survey now puts the national picture in numbers, and the picture is a little better for small farmers than before.
We opened Chapter 2, "Agriculture", of the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26 on 14 October 2026 and read section 2.2-e on agricultural credit. Its tables come from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Shares and ratios we worked out are marked "our sum".
Lenders disbursed Rs 2,161.6 billion in nine months
From July 2025 to March 2026, lenders disbursed Rs 2,161.6 billion to agriculture, 15 percent more than Rs 1,880.4 billion a year earlier. That is 71 percent of their own yearly plans. The full-year plan is Rs 3,062 billion, 19 percent above last year's Rs 2,577 billion.
The loan book also grew. Outstanding farm loans stood at Rs 1,166.3 billion at the end of March 2026, up 22.6 percent from Rs 951.4 billion. But borrowers rose only 1.2 percent to 2.96 million. More money is going to roughly the same number of people.
The SBP no longer sets a fixed target for each bank. Each lender submits its own Agriculture Credit Expansion Plan, and the SBP tracks the result. The Survey calls this a shift away from "indicative targets".
Forty-six lenders offer farm loans, and they lend differently
The 46 lenders are 5 major commercial banks, 12 medium and small commercial banks, 6 Islamic banks, 2 specialised banks and 11 microfinance banks, plus 10 microfinance institutions and rural support programmes. Domestic private banks grew their lending fastest, by 57 percent.
| Lender group | Disbursed Jul-Mar 2025-26 (Rs billion) | Change on last year | Share of own plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 big commercial banks | 1,052.16 | -1.09% | 64.67% |
| 12 domestic private banks | 620.55 | +57.02% | 81.93% |
| 11 microfinance banks | 209.73 | +17.91% | 72.96% |
| 6 Islamic banks | 181.04 | +10.58% | 72.08% |
| ZTBL (specialised) | 70.43 | +36.00% | 76.52% |
| Microfinance institutions | 21.62 | +7.28% | 68.86% |
| Punjab cooperative bank | 6.12 | -22.50% | 40.24% |
The five big banks still lend about half of the total, Rs 1,052 billion out of Rs 2,162 billion (our sum), yet they lent slightly less than a year earlier. ZTBL, the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, is a specialised bank for agriculture. Its Rs 70.43 billion is small in comparison. If a big bank turns you away, ask a domestic private bank, a microfinance bank or ZTBL.
Subsistence farms received 42 percent more credit
Lending to subsistence holdings, the smallest class in the SBP's data, rose 41.60 percent to Rs 554.66 billion. Economic holdings rose 40.81 percent to Rs 170.06 billion. Lending to above-economic holdings fell 9.62 percent to Rs 469.20 billion. The SBP does not define the classes in this table.
The SBP also counts a non-farm sector inside agriculture credit. Farm sector lending was Rs 1,193.92 billion, 55 percent of the total. Non-farm lending was Rs 967.72 billion, 45 percent, split into Rs 319.93 billion for small borrowers and Rs 647.79 billion for large ones.
Small farmers who want more loan room can start with the Zarkhez-e farm loan with no collateral. The Survey says Zarkhez-e began on 14 October 2025, and it lets a farmer apply on a simple digital form. The Punjab Kissan Card is a separate route, described in the Phase II plan for loans up to Rs 360,000 a season.
Production loans take almost half of all lending
Farm production loans, which usually fund a crop's running costs such as seed and fertiliser, were Rs 1,060.17 billion, 49 percent of all credit. Farm development loans were Rs 133.67 billion, or 6 percent. The SBP table does not list what they buy. Non-farm working capital was Rs 901.01 billion, and fixed investment was Rs 66.79 billion.
Development loans, the longer term kind, are a small share of the total. A farmer who wants a tractor or a pump may find an interest-free government route cheaper. See the Punjab hi-tech farm mechanisation loan.
Check which SBP scheme fits your farm
The Survey lists five SBP schemes aimed at farm borrowers. Match your situation to one before you approach a bank. The list below gives the figure the Survey prints for each.
- Prime Minister's Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme: banks disbursed Rs 40 billion in July to March against a limit of Rs 65 billion.
- Electronic Warehouse Receipt Financing: Rs 3.0 billion went to 507 farmers who stored produce in 35 accredited warehouses.
- Digital land records: 30 banks in Punjab are linked to the land records authority and made 70,347 fards in July to December.
- Revised Crop Loan Insurance Scheme Plus, launched on 20 April 2026: one-time income loss support of Rs 15,000 for men and Rs 17,500 for women, with accident cover of Rs 250,000 and Rs 275,000.
- Risk Coverage Scheme for Small Farmers: banks get first-loss cover of up to 10 percent, and the SBP expects Rs 100 billion a year and 250,000 new borrowers a year for three years.
A fard is the land record extract a bank needs. Insurance matters most after a bad season. See how to claim crop loan insurance after flood, hail or drought.
Common questions
How much did banks lend to farmers in 2025-26?
Lenders disbursed Rs 2,161.6 billion in July to March 2026, up 15 percent. The full-year plan is Rs 3,062 billion.
How many lenders give farm loans in Pakistan?
The Survey lists 46 formal lenders and 10 microfinance institutions and rural support programmes.
How many farmers have a loan?
There were 2.96 million outstanding borrowers at the end of March 2026, up 1.2 percent in a year.
Which lender grew its farm lending fastest?
The domestic private banks, with 57 percent more than a year earlier. ZTBL followed with 36 percent.
Is there a scheme for small farmers without collateral?
The Survey describes a Risk Coverage Scheme and the Zarkhez-e digital platform for small farmers. It does not state a loan limit, so ask the lender.
Are these final numbers?
No. They cover July to March only, and SBP can revise them.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read section 2.2-e and Tables 2.16 to 2.18 in Chapter 2 of the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26 on the Finance Division website. The tables cite the State Bank of Pakistan as their source. We did not read each bank's own loan terms, and we did not test an application. Loan limits, markup and papers vary by lender, so confirm them with the lender in writing.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
