ISLAMABAD: In a groundbreaking step for Pakistan’s agricultural and financial sectors, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has partnered with HBL Microfinance Bank (HBL MfB) to launch the country’s first satellite-powered agricultural lending solution.
The initiative, formalized through a “landmark” memorandum of understanding (MoU), will integrate space technology directly into the farm credit ecosystem—providing banks with accurate, real-time insights into crop health, yield potential, and farm-level risks before loans are disbursed.
Under the pilot project, which will be rolled out in Okara District, Punjab—one of Pakistan’s most productive farming hubs—SUPARCO will conduct remote pre-loan assessments using high-resolution satellite imagery, crop health analytics, yield estimation, and risk profiling. These insights will feed into a secure API and dashboard, enabling HBL MfB to make informed, data-driven lending decisions without the need for costly and time-consuming manual field verification.
The partnership will also introduce post-loan satellite monitoring, allowing banks to track crop activity throughout the growing season. Early alerts will be generated if anomalies—such as pest attacks, water stress, or weather damage—are detected, enabling timely interventions to protect farmers’ livelihoods and loan repayments.
“This project is a major leap in applying space technology for climate-smart agriculture and improving farmers’ access to finance,” SUPARCO said in a statement.
The development comes amid renewed efforts to expand Pakistan’s space program. In recent months:
- July 2025: China launched the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1), boosting the country’s capabilities in land resource surveys and disaster prevention.
- January 2025: Pakistan’s indigenously developed Electro-Optical (EO-1) satellite was launched from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for natural disaster prediction and resource monitoring.
- May 2024: Pakistan sent its first lunar satellite aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe to explore the moon’s far side.
- November 2024: SUPARCO announced plans for a Pakistani rover to join China’s Chang’e-8 lunar mission in 2028.
By merging cutting-edge satellite data with agricultural financing, SUPARCO and HBL MfB aim to set a precedent for climate-resilient, technology-driven rural lending in Pakistan, with the potential to scale nationwide in the coming years.
