Agriculture is the main source of income in rural Pakistan. A large majority of households mainly depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Traditional inputs and techniques have historically generated low crop yields. Poor access to finance and lack of awareness has been the fundamental impediment for the Pakistani farmer in his pursuit for economic prosperity.

Majority of rural households engaged in farming barely make enough income to afford basic health and education services, leaving very little in savings for the farmer to purchase inputs for the subsequent crop cycle. For the overwhelming majority, the informal money lender is their only means for purchasing agricultural inputs. Exorbitant interest rates trap small-holding farmers in a vicious cycle of poverty. Repayment of usurious debt consumes a majority of the farmers' income over time, further adding to chronic poverty in rural Pakistan.

To mitigate this OSDI provides affordable and sustained financial assistance to farmers in its focused villages in the form of farming inputs such as seed, fertilizer, equipment, soil nutrients, and pesticides. The farmers are trained occasionally by OSDI's appointed agro experts to teach them modern agricultural practices and techniques. The aim is to increase agricultural output in terms of higher yield per acre so that a direct increase in income can occur.

After a few crop cycles are financed, savings accumulate, incomes stabilize and the under-privileged have an opportunity to break free from the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Under the ADP, OSDI has financed a total of 2038 farmers having 6835 acres of farmland till date in the focused districts of Shikarpur, Khairpur, Matiari, Jacobabad, Thatta (Sindh), Lasbela (Baluchistan) and Mardan (KPK).

The Agriculture Development Project has the following objectives:

• o Increasing productivity of the crops
• o Enhancing incomes and savings on a household level
• o Encouraging asset creation
• o Training farmers and creating awareness on modern agricultural methods and techniques