Where’s your date?

Experts say there is need for govt support to nurture date gardens

MULTAN: It goes without saying that the date fruit and Ramazan go hand in hand and most open their fasts with this most nutritious of edibles. On the outskirts of Multan, gipsy women carry dates in baskets over their heads go door to door to sell them.

Salma Bibi tells The Express Tribune that she sells dates in large quantity in Ramazan as compared to the rest of the year. “Children rush towards me and buy dates and distribute them among the people in mosques.”

Housewife Nadia points out that, “We also make date milkshakes which are healthy and full of energy.”

Pakistan Agricultural and Research Council officials outlined that 4.9 million tonnes of dates are grown every year in more than 40 countries around the world. Iran is the biggest in terms of production at 60%, followed by Egypt at 12%, Saudi Arabia at 9% and Pakistan with 7%.

The total annual production of dates in Pakistan is about 0.54 million tonnes with Sindh growing 0.28 million tonnes, Balochistan growing 0.175 million tonnes, NWFP  growing 0.05 million tonnes and Punjab growing 0.039 million tonnes.



Dried dates are also used in various dishes to add flavour. In general, a hot climate is required to grow the fruit.

Agriculture experts told Express Tribune that the plant must be watered for 40 days in a row. This is followed by another 40 days of watering but on alternate days. Among fertilisers, manure and NPK can be used for a better yield.

They added that plants for one’s garden can be grown from saplings and seeds. However, saplings are better suited as it is a new plant grown from the roots of an old one, they add.

The distance between trees must be 20 to 25 feet and the best time to plant dates is from February to March and August to September.

The different types of dates in Pakistan include Halawi, Makran, Daki, Zahidi, Rezi, Begum Jhangi, Hussaini, Zerein, Rogni, Ashiq, Kango, Ajwa, Khodravi, Rabia, Jaishk, Akhrot, Jhalki, Aseel and others. The experts emphasised the need to nurture date gardens.

They maintain that practical steps should be taken to boost the production of this fruit.

Earlier, the Punjab agriculture department launched the  Date Palm Valley project for South Punjab at a cost of Rs780 million. A Punjab agriculture department’s official said the objective is to transform nine districts of south Punjab into a date palm valley.

The country is earning a handsome amount of foreign exchange annually by exporting dates, he says. The official added that that under the project, free plants have been distributed in these districts. He continued that annual date production had crossed 550,000 tons, which helps to get 300 million dollars of forex annually, to Pakistan. The agriculture department has started a five-year project at a cost of Rs780 million to distribute Ajwa, Barhee, Amber, Khulas and Midjaul varieties, he added.

Due to better management services and availability, the export volume of dates in the country had increased from $200 million to $300 million in one year, he mentioned.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2018.