Soan Valley farmers capitalise on cauliflower crop
A family is sitting beside the reservoir that is located to the west of the village in Soan Valley. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Cauliflower grown in the Soan Valley of Khushab district is available in all seasons of the year.
With access to markets for the off-season vegetables and fruits, farmers in the area have gained an opportunity to become economically stable.
The vegetable is transported to every market of the country. The consumers of cauliflower say they benefit by eating the vegetable due to its rich nutrients and reasonable price.
As the Soan Valley climate is relatively cooler even during the summer season, it provides an ideal environment to cultivate cauliflower and other similar non-seasonal vegetables.
Imtiaz Hussain, a renowned researcher of Khushab, told The Express Tribune that the valley is surrounded by mountains on all sides where lakes and waterfalls are also present. “Trees are also present in abundance in this lowlying area. The valley is located at an altitude of 4,000 feet above sea level. The weather is very pleasant even in summer. For this reason, vegetables grown in the winter in the plains are also produced here every year in summer and autumn.”
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The vegetables have been popular in the markets of Punjab, he added. Malik Sharif Awan, a landowner, said that Soan Valley was a better agricultural area than other rain-fed regions.
Kharif season crops include millet, maize, groundnut and mash, he added. “Summer vegetables include pumpkin, ladyfinger, bitter gourd, eggplant, cauliflower, apple gourd, cucumber, chilli, and tomatoes. Cauliflower produced in the early days of summer in the valley is sold across the country.”
However, Nazir Awan, a local farmer, stated that the Soan Valley was far away from the big markets, which makes the transportation costly.
Nowshera Tehsil Agriculture Officer Malik Farooq Awan said that due to reckless deforestation, the climate of the region was changing dramatically, due to which the crop production was less this time than ever before.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2021.