Financial institutions hold first-ever job fair at Sindh Agriculture University: Banks showcase career options for future agronomists in Sindh

HYDERABAD: Leading banks and financial institutions held a job fair at the Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam on Wednesday, where they assured fresh graduates of accommodating them in business, agriculture, and other relevant fields.

The event was jointly organised by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and SAU Tandojam. Banks and companies set up stalls at the university premises, and received registration forms from interested graduates for the job process. Many graduates were offered registration with lending banks to deal with agriculture credit.

The event attracted farmers, teachers, entrepreneurs, representatives of financial institutions, and companies related to agriculture production, seeds, and fertilisers, as well as livestock and dairy businesses.

SAU Vice Chancellor Dr Mujibuddin Memon Sehrai said agriculture economy has its role and this university covers entire fields related to crops, livestock, poultry, water, soil and fisheries.

Lauding the job fair, he said it was a great opportunity for students to show talent and compete in the job market.

“We are doing such activities frequently, encouraging cadre to learn more. In the job fair almost all the banks and financial institutions have set up their stalls to attract graduates. Now, it is the responsibility of interested graduates to attend and show their commitment,” he added. The VC told students that the job market was tough and very competitive. “There was a time when parliamentarians, MNAs, MPAs, Senators offered support to graduates of their constituencies, but now the time has gone and this era needs competition,” he said.

SBP Senior Joint Director Ikramullah Qadri said the target was to finance agriculture related fields, including livestock, dairy and poultry with up to Rs1,001 billion annually. Even during the current year, banks have provided Rs666 billion finance to farmers till March (2018),” he said.

The senior joint director said that the SBP has designed the programme and job fair for students to measure the potential in the country. “These graduates should be given space in financial institutions so they may deal with agriculture credit,” he added. SBP recently collected data from Pakistani universities about challenges facing graduates in the job market, and this event was the part of that programme. Qadri said banks needed agriculture credit officers, and the fair would enable them to identify local students for hiring. “Local students will be identified and banks will complete this process till July this year for appointment and interview process, and then after training they will (be hired),” the SBP official said.

SBP Director Noor Ahmed offered SAU management to select 30 graduates during the summer vacations and said the banks would train the selected students. “Banks have more space for agriculture graduates, and this university with its campuses should extend help in this process,” he added.

SAU Financial Assistance Director Prof Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar said the university was committed to contribute towards self-sufficiency and sustainability in agriculture to ensure food security by producing trained manpower, conducting problem-oriented research and establishing effective linkages with the stakeholders. Prof Kumbhar quoted an SBP Circular on set up and maintenance of fully dedicated agriculture finance department/division/unit equipped with qualified agriculture finance experts and officers at the banks, and said that many commercial banks have not set up their agriculture finance offices as advised by the SBP. “Only a few banks have set up departments, but non-agriculture graduates have been appointed for supervision of agriculture sector in banks,” the professor said.

Sajid Mahmood Gill from HBL said that the bank has a separate division to look in to agriculture, farmers’ financial needs. “It (HBL) has network of 700 branches in the country, which deal with agriculture sector needs, including agriculture, poultry and livestock, dairy and tractor finance, directly and indirectly,” he added.