THE quality and price of the current banana crop in Sindh have been affected by climatic conditions, mainly on account of abnormal temperatures and acute water shortages caused by damage to one of the main regulators of the Rohri canal. Most banana orchards in the province are fed by the Rohri canal.

Orchard owners say the abnormal rise in temperatures in June coupled with water shortages and storms affected the thickness and length of those banana fruit bunches that had grown in the May-June period. The size of the current crop was good.

Growers said they expected the banana crop to recover by October-November harvesting as the crop now looked healthy due to the positive effect of rains in July. More than 90pc of the country’s banana is produced in Sindh.

The province produced 112,386 metric tonnes of banana in 2015 up 10.5pc from 101,725 metric tonnes of production in 2014, according to the provincial agriculture department’s figures

The province produced 112,386 metric tonnes of banana in 2015 up 10.5pc from 101,725 metric tonnes of production in 2014, according to the provincial agriculture department’s figures.

The damages to the Rohri canal regulator prompted irrigation authorities, amidst growers’ protests, to close the canal for repairs in June.

Like mango orchards, banana orchard owners let out their orchards to contractors who are just interested in short-term gains.

Inferior quality fruit fetches a lower rate i.e. Rs600/40kg while somewhat better quality fruit Rs750/40kg.

“Closure of canals at a time when mercury shot upto 47C in Tando Jan Mohammad, in district Mirpurkhas, dealt a severe blow to the crop, triggering trans-evaporation in the plant’s leaves”, says Karamullah Saand, a banana orchard owner.

Currently, according to him, a vehicle is fully loaded with 600-800 banana bunches on a truck with 205 maunds against 400-500 bunches that weighed 250 maunds.

He, however, says recent rains during July-August had off-set the irrigation water shortage experienced earlier. This benefit to the crop would materialise during October-November — normally an ideal time for harvesting of the fruit.

Banana grower Imdad Nizamani says the fruit from his orchard during May-Aug 2016 was sold at Rs1,097/40kg against Rs1,243/40kg during the corresponding period of 2015. The current yield per acre was 192 maunds per acre against 244 maunds in 2015. He hopes eight months of crop will provide him a chance to make a major gains later. But, he says, this will depend on exports to Afghanistan and an increased demand in local market.

During water shortage period, progressive growers, who had resources, saved their crop by providing water through tube-wells.

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, September 12th, 2016