A bankers' seminar on the agricultural financing - a new field for national financing institutions - urged by participants to lay greater focus on the sector to make the country self-sufficient in grains and other cash crops. The seminar, organised by the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) at its regional training centre, was presided over by the Executive Vice President and Regional Chief Executive for Islamabad and northern NWFP Badar-ud-Din Qazi.

Managers and Agriculture Loan Operators from seven regions attended the two-day seminar, conducted by the Principal of the Centre Sarfaraz Ahmed.

The participants were told about the expanding needs of the farmers in the nation and the greater demand on the inputs for crop improvement that in turn needed larger financing.

The traditional sources for financial support, the seminar noticed were under strain and hence the government had allowed the commercial banks to diversify their activities.

Badar ud-Din Qazi reviewed the role played by his bank in his region and claimed it had lent a record amount to all categories of farmers and hoped that during the current year his region would further excel in the service.

He and other speakers at the seminar urged the field staff of the bank to approach the farmers in their areas with a service-oriented attitude with greater attention to the owners of smallholdings.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005