The International Finance Corporation (IFC) on Tuesday announced its first Pakistan rupee-denominated investment through an unfunded Partial Credit Guarantee of up to Rs 33.6 billion (about $120 million equivalent) to support long-term PKR financing by Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan Limited for Engro Fertilizers Limited, aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s agricultural value chain.
This financing would enable Engro Fertilizers to strengthen the agri-value chain in Pakistan by mobilising local capital, a news release said. The investment, aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s agriculture sector and bolstering food security, also benefits from a first-loss counter guarantee from the IFC-Canada Facility for Resilient Food Systems.
This engagement marks IFC’s first local currency investment in Pakistan, thus expanding access to long-term financing solutions in both local and foreign currency, critical for economic growth particularly in important sectors such as agriculture and micro, small, and medium enterprises.
By leveraging rupee-denominated financing, Engro Fertilizers, one of Pakistan’s leading fertilizer producers, is championing the use of domestic capital to enhance operational resilience.
The financing would help Engro Fertilizers make capital investments in maintenance of facilities and turnarounds, enabling uninterrupted supply of urea and other fertilizers to meet national demand. The funding would also support farmer programs, ensuring continuity of initiatives that complement Engro’s core mission of reliable production.
The agriculture sector is contributing 24 percent of Pakistan’s GDP, 70 percent of its exports, and 40 percent of its employment, making it vital for long-term growth. Yet systemic challenges-inefficient supply chains, underfunded farmer programs, low literacy, and rising input costs persist. This investment would help address some of these gaps.
“Engro has always strived to solve Pakistan’s most pressing issues meaningfully. Using local capital to strengthen local value chains reflects our commitment to the country and to our farmers – the backbone of Pakistan’s economy – through reliable fertilizer production. We are grateful to our partners, IFC and Standard Chartered Bank, for enabling us to advance this mission,” said Engro Fertilizers CEO Ali Rathore.
“This investment reflects the strength of our partnership with Engro Fertilizers and Standard Chartered Bank and our shared commitment to providing innovative solutions to address challenges in a sustainable manner. Through this project, we are opening new pathways for local currency long-term financing that support growth and financial resilience to manage country risk in a sector vital to the country’s economy,” said Ashruf Megahed, Regional Industry Head, Manufacturing, Agribusiness & Services, Middle East and Central Asia at IFC
Commenting on the occasion, Rehan Shaikh, CEO and Head of Coverage, Standard Chartered Pakistan stated, “At Standard Chartered we are committed to financing solutions that enable sustainable growth and long-term resilience across Pakistan’s economy.
This partnership with IFC and Engro Fertilizers reflects our shared vision of strengthening food security and supporting one of the country’s most critical value chains. Standard Chartered is keen to continue working with IFC to replicate this successful structure across its network.”