THE climatic conditions in Pakistan allow growth of 21 different kinds of fruits like apple, almond, walnut, dates, peaches, plums, citrus, mango, guava, loquat, lychee and banana.

Peach (prunus persica) is an important stone fruit. It is a traditional crop of the Northern Areas and occupies 4,543 hectares with 48,284 tons of production. Quetta, Kalat, Peshawar, Swat valleys and certain parts of Kohistan hills are the main growing areas. The fruit contains 10-14 per cent sugar, two per cent protein and is also rich in ascorbic acid, vitamin A&B besides iron, phosphorus and calcium.

Cling and free stone are two important cultivated types of peaches produced worldwide. In Pakistan, these are grown in the NWFP, Balochistan and some low chill and early maturing cultivars of Potohar. Peach is a major fruit in terms of area and production in Peshawar and Swat.

Peach marketing is done in traditional way due to which there exists a big difference between the consumer price and those received by the producers. The producers complain that the major portion of consumer prices go to market intermediaries.

Peach produced in the NWFP is marketed immediately after harvest. High temperature and humidity, however, cause lofty post-harvest losses. Estimates suggest that the loss ranges between 20-30 per cent. Peach is supplied to cities by growers and through beoparies (middlemen).

The farm size of sampled respondents ranges between 0.8 to 20 acres with an average of 6.6 acres. Most growers in the study area fall below the substance level of land holdings. More than half (52.3 per cent) of the area is devoted to peach orchard about 2.3 acres, thus showing its importance. On the remaining 47.7 per cent area apple, plum and persimmons are grown.

The majority of peach producers (78 per cent) sell their produce to pre- harvest contractors at flowering or immature stage of the fruit due to lack of financial resources, labour, and marketing information. Contractors purchase the fruit from growers and dispose it off in wholesale markets of Lahore with an off-take of 42 per cent, followed by Rawalpindi 26 per cent, and Peshawar and Mingora 32 per cent. The producer and contractor receive 54 and 24 per cent of the share, respectively.

There is a need to improve peach marketing. All agencies involved should be trained and educated in modern packaging, grading and product presentation techniques for meeting international standards. Credit facilities at lower interest rate to peach growers should be arranged. Efforts should also be made to increase the shelf-life of the fruit.