Frost wreaks havoc on tomato crops in Khushab

KHUSHAB:

A wave of severe frost wiped out standing tomato crops across villages including Kathha Saghraal, Kathha Misraal and Kotli Rajgan in the foothills of Daman-e-Mahaar in Khushab district.

What had been thriving fields of red and green tomato plants just a day earlier were reduced to dried leaves and withered stems overnight.

Farmers said the freezing temperatures caused the plant cells to rupture, destroying the crop at a critical stage of maturity.

According to local estimates, more than 65% of the crop has been completely ruined. Small farmers who had taken loans to buy seeds and fertilisers now face an uncertain future.

Vegetable farms and orchards resemble graveyards, with little hope of recovery.

Speaking to Express, local grower Malik Abdul Karim said farmers had worked tirelessly through cold nights, applying fertiliser and maintaining their fields in the hope of a good market price this season.

"We hoped to repay our previous loans, but nature had other plans," he lamented.

The impact is not limited to farmers alone. These areas are a major source of tomato supply for markets in Sargodha, Lahore and Rawalpindi, and reduced output is expected to drive prices sharply upward in coming weeks.

Agricultural labourers who travel from distant areas for harvesting have also returned empty-handed.

Agricultural experts said frost is not unusual in the region due to its geographical location, but this year's intensity and timing were exceptionally damaging. Climate change, they warned, is increasingly disrupting seasonal weather patterns.

Farmers also complained that the agriculture department failed to provide timely warnings or guidance on protective measures such as smoke cover, light irrigation or plastic tunnels.

Former Khushab District Council Chairman Malik Ameer Haider Sangha Awan has urged the Punjab chief minister to dispatch revenue officials and agricultural experts to assess the damage and announce a special relief package for the affected farmers.