BY Fazal Khaliq
SWAT: The Chinese pilgrims, who visited the ancient Uddiyana Kingdom, the present day Swat valley, in the fifth century, described it a `royal garden` where they enjoyed a vast variety of juicy fruits and fragrant flowers.
Proving the accounts of Chinese pilgrims true, the orchard-rich Swat valley still produces different fruits and vegetables. Various fruits including peaches, apples, red persimmon, black persimmon, plum, apricot, cherry and pear are supplied to the country`s markets from Swat in the season.
According to Rahmat Ali Khan, the president of Fruits and Vegetables Association Swat, an estimated 400 to 500 trucks loaded with fruits daily leave Swat for fruit markets across the country.
`The ripe fruit season begins with cherry in the month of May and lasts till the end of December,` he told Dawn.
Presently thousands of workers are busy in picking and packing the juicy apples of Swat at the orchards to shift the fruits to the country`s markets. Due to its taste and attractive shape, the apple of Swat could be ranked among the best quality of apple in the country, Mr Khan said.
`In 2002 we set up a stall at an international exhibition in Hong Kong where our apples were placed among the best apples in the world and got third position,` he said.
However, according to Khan, apple orchards in lower Swat are losing its charm due to several factors. Apple orchards in the plain areas of Swat had been replaced with the peach orchards, he said.`The decrease of apple in Swat, apart from climate change, is due to better market for peaches. Farmers earn higher income by growing peaches as compared to apples. Another major reason is the government`s lack of interest in apple as there is no support from the government for the apples growers, said Mr Khan.
He said that despite a big producer of apples Pakistani market was open to every country where huge quantity of apples from Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and China was imported. He said that it was illogical to import apple from other countries in such a huge quantity as the best quality of apple was produced in different areas of the country including Balochistan, Swat and Wana, South Waziristan.
He also criticised the role of Pakistan Export Promotion Bureau, saying it was not devising a proper policy and programme for the export of Pakistani fruits.
`Regular exhibitions must be arranged where foreign and local exporters can come and see the fruits.
Trainings must be arranged for the farmers and fruits growers and they should be also provided with opportunities to export our apples,` said Mr Khan.
He also complained about what he called the passive role of government in promoting production of apples in Swat.
`If the government facilitates growers by providing them quality pesticides and essential trainings about modern trends of orchard management, no doubt, the apple production will get momentum once again,` said Mr Khan. He added that apple exports could earn the country substantial foreign exchange.
Kishawar Ali, a fruit orchard dealer in Matta tehsil, has been dealing in the business for the last 10 years. He saidthat owing to import of apples from international market, apples of Swat did not earn as the local peaches did.
`The apple orchard needs more labour and management than that of other fruits, which is costlier than apple.
The market price of apple is the same as it was 20 years ago,` he told Dawn. He said that apple of Swat was more delicious and juicy than the apples of other areas in the country. `It only needs the attention of the government,` he added.
Mr Ali said that 20 per cent of the ripe fruit went waste as it could not reach the market. `If there are juice factories or other machines to make jams or other products here in Swat, we will not lose the 20 per cent produce,` he said.
Hundreds of labourers work in his apple orchard. Some of them pick the fruits from trees, some grade them and others pack them in boxes.
Usman Ali, who has been packing fruits for the last 12 years, is happy to work in his own area. `I am very happy to have opportunity of work in my own village because of these fruit orchards.
They are the source of livelihood for us and my family,` he said.
A picker gets Rs600 as daily wages while the one who picks and grades the fruits is given Rs400 per day.
Mir Zaman Khan, a fruit picker, is also content by working in orchards. He said that he used to rear domestic animals and earned less money before starting work as a picker. `This is very good work as I can earn more money and eat delicious apples,` he said.
According agriculture extension department, Swat, having over 13,000 hectares land for cultivation of different fruits, produced up to 100,000 tonnes of fruits in 2014. The area specified for apple orchards is 3,750 hectares. The orchards produce 30,500 tonnes of apples.
About 40 varieties of apples are grown in Swat. However, the number is squeezing with each passing year, owing to different reasons. The varietal groups recommended for Swat valley include Gala group, Red delicious group, Golden group, Toor Kulu, King Star (French), Red Golden, White Kolo, Kala Kolo, Sota and Rail Gala, which are popular in different areas.
Dr Rauf, the horticulture specialist at Agriculture Research Institute (ARI)Swat, said that cold climate where humidity was low in winter or dry temperate was best for apple growing.
`Bahrain and the onward areas like Matlitan, Kalam, Utror, Gabral and Ushu are the ideal zones for growing the best apple in Swat. We conduct regular awareness sessions for the farmers of upper Swat regarding apple growing and its management. Our knowledge and information sharing programme for the farmers is also a routine matter,` said Dr Rauf.
The Agriculture Research InstituteSwat has also worked and approved different groups of apples for Swat. `Owing to its ideal location, we have set up a summer station for research in Kalam where we have about 45 outstanding varieties of apple, collected from abroad and other areas of Pakistan,` he said.
According to Amjad Ali, a local economy, enterprise and market development specialist, 30,500 tonnes of apple produced in Swat almost cater to the needs of
