Climate change, drought hit Thal's gram crop

The gram crop across hundreds of acres in the rain-fed lands of Thal has suffered an sharp decline due to prolonged drought and the impact of climate change, pushing local farmers into financial distress.

In recent years, the region has witnessed a continuous shortfall in rainfall, leaving the soil parched and unsuitable for traditional farming.

As a result, gram - once the signature crop of the Thal region - has been reduced to a fraction of its usual yield. Where farmers previously harvested an average of three sacks of gram per acre, they are now harvesting only one sack from three acres.

Local farmer Zafar Iqbal, who sowed gram over 45 acres of land this season, said he could only obtain 14 sacks in total - far below what was needed to re-cover his investment.

Another farmer, Malik Shafqat Jora, said he had sown 16 bags of gram seed, but the yield was so poor that even basic expenses were not met.

"Due to the lack of rain for the past eight months, we cannot even afford to feed our families," said Jora.

"We are drowning in bank loans and have no means to repay them."

The situation has grown so desperate that many farmers had, in past years, turned to cultivating syca-more (safeda) trees instead of crops - a change that has significantly lowered the groundwater level in the area. This year, however, many had returned to gram cultivation, only to be hit with another wave of disappointment.

Agricultural experts warn that if conditions remain unchanged, the traditional gram crop of Thal - once celebrated across Pakistan for its taste and quality due to being grown without chemical fertilizers or sprays - may vanish altogether.

The gram produced here was widely consumed and valued for its natural flavour, but now even local residents are finding it difficult to access.

Farmers argue that had the Greater Thal Canal pro-ject - launched 25 years ago to irrigate the region's rain-fed lands - been completed on time, the current crisis could have been averted. They believe the project holds the key to turning Thal into a fertile zone that could contribute billions to the national economy annually.

Farmers are now calling on the federal government to intervene by providing immediate financial aid, waiving loans taken from agricultural banks, and prioritising the completion of irrigation projects.

"This is not just about our livelihoods," said a farmer. "It's about saving an entire agricultural ecosystem from collapse."