From Barren Wastelands to Thriving Harvests: The Inspiring Journey of KallarMaar

In the vast expanse of existence, a timeless adage resonates: “Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” Yet, for the resilient farmers and landowners of Pakistan, the endeavour to safeguard and nurture their land’s fertility stands as a monumental challenge. This arduous path was no stranger to Yasin, who witnessed his family’s doomed struggle of transforming barren land into fertile, crop-producing terrain for decades.

Determined to mitigate the land crisis, Yasin delved into the intricacies of saline and sodic soil and its possible solutions. Yasin, a cultivator, discovered that the problem lay in its high pH level and formulated a solution after several experiments. Although his family was skeptical, they allowed Yasin to apply his newly found knowledge. Undeterred, Yasin put his full effort into carrying out a series of experiments on a desolate alkaline wasteland owned by his family. Miraculously, after a series of pilot projects and soil tests, he achieved a neutral pH, the perfect balance for crops to flourish. However, his first crop shortly died off. Intrigued by this challenge, he worked on the land again, and the second crop turned out excellent.

Encouraged by his outcomes, Yasin contemplated founding KallarMaar, which assists farmers in preserving salt-affected soil, preventing it from succumbing to arid salt flats that threatened to dominate the landscape. To mature his nascent idea, Yasin incubated KallarMaar at NIC Faisalabad, where in a short span of 3 months, he honed the product, ensured market fit, and finalized the business model for KallarMaar. Speaking of workshops, Yasin insists, “NICF brings globally experienced trainers who not only mentored me on how to respond convincingly to investors’ queries but also compelled me to reflect on questions I had never considered about my product.”

With 6.5 million hectares of land in the country being saline and having the potential to contribute US$31 million to the national economy if made productive, Yasin’s devotion to rejuvenating barren lands holds immense promise. It could impact countless farmers and the stumbling economy, offering a stream of opportunities to stakeholders – large landowners, small-holding farmers, and investors alike.