Revive and Rise Program: How Rizq and Bank Alfalah Are Reimagining Smallholder Farmer Empowerment in Sindh

Agriculture remains the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, yet the people who sustain it often face some of the country’s greatest challenges. For smallholder farmers, limited access to finance, rising production costs, climate shocks, and market uncertainty can make every crop cycle a struggle.

In Sindh, these challenges have become even more pronounced following the devastating floods of 2022, which damaged agricultural land, disrupted livelihoods, and pushed many rural households deeper into vulnerability. For farmers already operating on small acreages and limited resources which required long-term investment in resilience.

It was from this need that the Revive and Rise Program was born.

A partnership between Rizq and Bank Alfalah, Revive and Rise represents a new approach to agricultural rehabilitation, one that combines financial inclusion, agricultural support, and sustainable development to help smallholder farmers rebuild stronger than before.

The partnership between Rizq and Bank Alfalah began in 2023 when both organisations connected through discussions around agricultural recovery and farmer resilience. United by a shared concern for the challenges faced by Pakistan’s small farmers, the partnership evolved into a landmark initiative designed to support farming communities in Sindh through a subsidised agricultural financing model.

Implemented through Rizq’s Kisaan Dost framework, the program is being carried out across approximately 950 acres of farmland in Khairpur, Sindh, benefiting nearly 200 smallholder farmers over four crop cycles between 2024 and 2026.

Unlike conventional lending mechanisms, Revive and Rise provides farmers with in-kind agricultural financing rather than cash. Farmers receive high-quality seeds, fertilisers, crop protection products, and micronutrients through carefully designed input packages that help improve productivity while reducing financial risk.

At the same time, farmers are connected to formal banking services through Bank Alfalah accounts, promoting financial inclusion and enabling them to participate in Pakistan’s formal financial ecosystem. This is a significant step for many farmers who have historically relied on informal lenders and middlemen for financial support.

Beyond financing, the program places strong emphasis on technical assistance and advisory services.

Rizq’s field teams work directly with farmers throughout each crop cycle, providing guidance on best farming practices, crop management, input utilisation, and productivity improvement. Continuous field monitoring ensures that challenges are identified early and addressed effectively, helping farmers maximise the benefits of the support they receive.

The program also aims to strengthen market access by connecting farmers with buyers and improving opportunities to secure fair prices for their produce. By reducing barriers between farmers and markets, the initiative helps ensure that productivity gains translate into meaningful income growth.

The goals of Revive and Rise Program are to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, strengthen access to financial services, and build long-term resilience among climate-vulnerable farming communities.

What makes this partnership particularly significant is its role in demonstrating how financial institutions and development organisations can work together to address systemic challenges within agriculture. As Rizq’s first major partnership with a financial institution, the collaboration has generated valuable learning around agricultural finance, farmer outreach, and sustainable program design.

More importantly, it has highlighted the potential for innovative partnerships to create solutions that extend beyond traditional relief efforts.

As the program continues through its four crop cycles, it stands as a powerful example of what becomes possible when organisations come together around a shared vision of empowering the people who feed the nation while building a more resilient future for agriculture in Pakistan.