PESHAWAR: Muqadar Khan, a farmer in Jabbar Kalley of Mardan district, faced very harsh reality of nature this year due to prolonged summer season and has to destroy his own gourd field spreading over a land of four acres because of destruction of the crops soon after sowing.
Muqadar is not the only one farmer, thousands of others like him in Mardan, Charsadda and Buner districts who fully depend on farming as only source of livelihood, have to face the same predicament because of unusual heat spell felt in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa like other parts of the country.
The unusual hot weather in current year which also prevailed in the usually cold month of October, has destroyed around 80 percent of gourd fields in Khyber Pakhtunkwa, impacting livelihood of thousands of people associated with farming of this vegetable.
A visit to affected areas in Mardan including Jabbar Khalley, Jamal Dehri, Charghale village etc found that majority of the gourd fields have been damaged due to unusual heat spell and majority of the farmers have destroyed their fields soon after spurting of the crop.
Gourd is being cultivated in vast lands of Mardan and Buner districts of KP and it is the only farming of this vegetable during winter season in Pakistan, informs Dr. Tariq Nawaz Khattak, Bio-chemist and Research Officer in NIFA (Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture).
The winter season gourd cultivation in thousands of acres of land in Rustam, Charghale, Totalai, Katlang, and Thakhtbhai areas provides livelihood opportunities to thousands of people who are associated with farming from generations, Dr. Tariq told APP. The environment of these areas is very suitable for cultivation of gourd during winter season and gives significant benefits to the growers, he added. However, due to changes in weather patterns caused by global warning and climate change, the livelihood of thousands of people through gourd farming is impacted and at risk, Dr. Tariq warns.
Dr, Tariq informed APP that this year an unusual delay in summer season has badly damaged gourd fields which came under severe attack of white fly. Those who sowed seed during routine days of end of September have faced a lot of losses and all of their fields are destroyed, he added.
He said from the last several years, farmers, engaged in gourd farming in Mardan and Buner districts during winter season are facing losses and compelled to consider plans for changing profession to make their both ends meet. From big farmers to small ones all were facing losses due to reduction in cultivated vegetable because of climate changes, he added.
Most of the farmers of the areas have now decided to cultivate wheat after destroying gourd fields due to losses they received, informed Jannat Gul, a former in Charghali area of Mardan district. Jannat Gul informed that the earning through gourd farming is much more than wheat, but we are forced to opt for less profit due to losses faced because of climate change.
Jannat Gul was lucky enough because his loss is less because he delayed sowing on 11 acres of his land from end September to start of October. Most the farmers he faced complete destruction of crops are those who sowed seed at routine dates starting from Septemer 23.
He said after a period of 35 days when seed is sowed, plucking of vegetable starts and continue till weather become chilling in end December.
?Last year I invested around Rs. 0.5 million for gourd farming on my 17 Acres of land in Charghali area in Mardan district,? Janat Gul told APP. I hardly recovered my investment and could not make any gain from farming. But this year we are again not expecting good return of our investment.
Jannau Gul informs that thousands of people are involved in gourd farming in the region as every farmer hires labours on daily basis. Destruction of crops not only inflicted losses on farmers, but also deprived a large number of labors from their daily wages, he added.
NIFA Scientist Dr. Tariq Nawaz explained that due to extension in period of summer season, the sowing period of gourd which usually started from start of September has been delayed to end of September, extending by a month period. However, this year summer continued in October and affected the fields, he went on to say.
The crops grow and produce vegetable very rapidly and within a period of three months it becomes unproductive due to chillness in weather in the end of December.
The farmers pluck ripe vegetable from fields several times during production period of the gourd crops, which is also reduced due to delay in sowing period inflicting loss on farmer?s income.
Another factor which affected gourd crop is attack of white fly which usually disappear in October due to arrival of winter, adds Dr. Tariq.
However, he went on to say, due to delay of summer season, the while fly did not disappear and attacked the gourd crops which affected fields.
Dr. Tariq said due to change in weather pattern the immunity of insects including white fly is also become stronger and could not be contained through use of insecticides.
The farmers were confused over damage to crop due to while fly despite use of pesticides, he went on to say.
He also informed that NIFA has recently prepared a repellent for white fly which has shown good results, but needs time to reach all the farmers. The medicine prepared by NIFA is a Bio-Pesticide which has no affect on crop from the human health point of view. Tariq warns that if due consideration was not given on reduction of loss of farming community by apprising them on mitigation measures, the winter season cultivation of gourd would be stopped and thousands of people will lose their livelihood.
