Battered by the elements: Heavy rain, hail damage wheat crops, fruit orchards

Farmers have much to worry about as what they sowed will have poor yield.

PESHAWAR:

Heavy rainfall and hail in Nowshera, Peshawar and other parts of the province damaged orchards and standing rabi crops (summer harvest).

Wheat is usually ready for harvest by the start of May.

Rain and hail have flattened the wheat crop, the main food grain. The extended winter period, torrential rains and hail also did not bode well for the peach and plum orchards.

Abdur Rahim, an agriculturist from Pabbi, told The Express Tribune, “We are subjected to erratic changes in the climate, a very unpredictable weather pattern.”

Previously the rains would start in the end of February and stop towards the end of March, Rahim explained, but now the seasons are more erratic, and farmers have still not been able to adjust accordingly. “The volley of pebble-sized hailstones on acres of cultivated land was unexpected.”

A serious cause for concern for farmers is the quality of the wheat grain – the crop has been soaked in water for days, turning the grain almost black.

“This is usually the time when the grain dries and ripens. Instead continuing rains have increased moisture levels – which will not only impact the level of nutrition in the grain but has also made it blackish in colour,” said Dr Salahuddin, an agricultural expert.

“The most important requirement for a good crop of wheat is sunny days – at a temperature of 30-32 degree Celsius.”

Salahuddin pointed out early rains prevent the grain from maturing well and the continuing dip in temperature would lead to low harvest production which in turn would push up food prices in the country.

Peshawar and Nowshera are the main producers of apricot, plum and peach.  “Our crops have suffered massive damage, we have lost our crop and orchards to storms and rains,” shared Wajahatullah, a fruit grower.

“The production of apricot, plum and peach has been reduced by up to 50%,” asserted Wajahatullah. These are the “cash crops” which fruit growers wait for the entire year. They supply the produce to big markets in Punjab and other parts of the country.

The worried fruit farmer added that more than half of the farmers could not plant the tomato crop this year – a major produce in Nowshera district. The wet weather made it impossible for the agriculturists to prepare their lands for it. Those who managed to grow tomatoes, a common ingredient in the country’s daily recipe book, complained the inconsistent weather was plaguing their crop with various diseases afflictions.

According to Dr Salahuddin, a simple fallback which could have helped farmers was insurance. “In our country, farmers are unaware of crop insurance; they need to adopt the policy as protection for their crop-derived income as changes in climate are hampering produce.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2013.