Unisame advocates formal recognition of small and medium farmers as Agri entrepreneurs

According to the officer’s communication it seems while Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are recognized, farmers are not classified as entrepreneurs under existing policy frameworks.

President UNISAME, Zulfikar Thaver emphasized that since UNISAME is the founding sponsor of the SME Farmers Association (SMEFA) it sought guidance from an international expert to resolve the issue and propose a more appropriate name for the association. The objective is to ensure that small and medium-scale farmers receive the same financial inclusion benefits as other SMEs under Pakistan’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS)

Among several expert recommendations, the most viable solution appears to be renaming the association as the Small and Medium Agri-Farming Businesses Association (SMAFA). This terminology aligns farmers with the SME sector recognizing them as agri-entrepreneurs rather than just cultivators, thereby making them eligible for financial support schemes.

To formalize this classification, UNISAME has urgently appealed to Haroon Akhtar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to take up the matter with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA). The goal is to urge SBP to amend its policies under NFIS, ensuring that small and medium farmers are rightfully acknowledged as key contributors to Pakistan’s agri-economy.