Harsh rains devastate date harvest in Sindh
The recent heavy showers in Sindh have wreaked havoc on the date harvest, causing an acute shortage of this beloved fruit in local markets. According to Ghulam Qasim Jaskani, a veteran date palm grower from Khairpur, “I expect this year’s harvest to reach hardly 10,000 tonnes of dates, compared to the usual 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes during a good season.”
Jaskani voiced the impact of torrential rains on the date production, stating, “Even this year, intermittent monsoon rains destroyed the fruit to a large extent.” To mitigate the losses, growers like Jaskani had to start harvesting early, resulting in the production of Chowara (dry dates), which is processed at an earlier stage. The early harvest was necessary to salvage some of the crop, as mature dates were no longer viable.
Despite these challenges, growers have managed to obtain good prices for their Chowara in local markets, with rates ranging from Rs3,000 to 20,000 for Aseel Chowara and from 5,000 to 30,000 for Dhakki Chowara, depending on quality. These dates are also expected to be exported later this year.
There are two main commercial date varieties, Aseel and Karbalain, with Aseel accounting for 95% of the production. Growers emphasised the growing trend of Dhakki dates due to their larger Chowara size and better prices compared to Aseel. The impact of these rains extends beyond local markets, affecting international exports. Zubair Ahmed Phulpoto, another date palms grower, mentioned that Aseel dates are favoured for their sweetness and a significant loss in this variety could lead to increased date imports from Iran, especially during the holy month of Ramazan.
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Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) President Mehmood Nawaz Shah acknowledged the challenges faced by growers and predicted that rates of dates would soar during Ramazan due to the severe shortage of local produce. He urged the government to focus on horticulture, introduce modern machinery, and establish pre- and post-harvest cold storage facilities to protect against climate-related losses.
He highlighted Pakistan’s significant date production but noted the lack of modern infrastructure and techniques. “Pakistan is ranked number six or seven in producing dates in the world, but we have poor infrastructure and lack modern machinery and techniques, that is why we have to suffer big losses in agricultural produce,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2023.
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