The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), in collaboration with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR), the Land Information & Management System (LIMS), and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), hosted a consultation session on Friday titled “Agri Stack – Building Digital Infrastructure for Pakistan’s Agricultural Future.”
The event brought together senior representatives from federal and provincial governments, agri-tech startups, telecom companies, fintechs, international development partners, farmer associations, and academia, both in person and online, to unify efforts for Pakistan’s agricultural digitisation.
Federal Minister for IT & Telecom, Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, emphasized that the Agri Stack aims to address significant challenges in agriculture, such as fragmented data, lack of farmer identities and credit history, inefficient subsidy delivery, and weak market access.
“The Agri Stack will enable verified farmer identities, integrate land data, offer precision advisory, and streamline services like subsidies, crop insurance, and credit. This initiative is key to creating an inclusive and technology-driven agricultural transformation in line with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision for a Digital Nation Pakistan, in collaboration with SIFC,” she said.
DG LIMS, Maj General (R) M Ayub Ahsan Bhatti, spoke about the importance of this initiative, noting that Agri-Stack/PAKGROW is an exceptional concept aimed at transforming the agricultural sector in Pakistan, particularly benefiting small farmers and influencing policymaking.
CEO of LIMS, Dr. M Waqar Yasin, pointed out that LIMS would serve as the central agency and national agri-database, integrating data from various sources to provide farm-specific information that meets the needs of all stakeholders.
CEO of Ignite, Rafique Ahmed Buriro, supported the remarks of the Federal Minister and DG LIMS, reiterating their commitment to building open, secure, and scalable digital infrastructure, positioning Agri Stack as the backbone of sustainable and innovative agricultural solutions across the country.
Key components of the initiative include farmer digital IDs, consent-based data exchange, trusted payment systems, satellite-driven crop intelligence, and digital market platforms.
The consultation aimed to align stakeholders on governance and fast-track implementation through LIMS. A Steering Committee co-chaired by MoITT and MNFSR will be formed, along with a Technical Working Group focused on data and cybersecurity, and pilot squads from the public and private sectors.
In the next 12–18 months, the initiative will prioritize use cases such as smart input subsidies, weather-indexed crop insurance, credit access through alternative data, and market linkages via LIMS. The session concluded with a roadmap to establish working groups, launch 3–4 pilot projects, and set measurable milestones for a digitally empowered agricultural future.
The Agri Stack initiative represents a significant step toward a digitally enabled agricultural ecosystem, empowering farmers, enhancing transparency, and boosting economic resilience. The Ministry of IT reaffirmed its commitment to driving innovation and collaboration for a sustainable agricultural future.
