SHANGLA: Known as valley of fruits, the remote mountainous district of Shangla produces the best quality of apple, apricot, peace, guava and citrus but the local farmers say that they need help of government to market and export the fruits.

The secluded valleys of Shangla are dotted with large orchards where orange, which is considered a treat of the winter, grows. The season of red blood oranges starts in December. From December to March, oranges are supplied to other parts of the country from Shangla.

“The months of September, October and November are considered very important to take care of orange orchards,” said Azizur Rehman, a local farmer. He said that only in Ranyal village at least 80 orange orchards existed.

A grower says his orchard produces over 200,000 oranges in a season

Ihsan, a farmer belonging to Ranyal village, said that his only orange orchard produced at least 250,000 fruits during the season.

The farmers and orchard owners also sell the fruit along the roadside. The people going to Besham and Swat seem it mandatory to stop at the roadside stalls and buy the fruit.

There are also citrus farms on both sides of road and motorists and commuters can be seen haggling over the price with the stall owners.

Maqsood, a traveller, praised the red-blood oranges of Shangla. “We often travel on the road and when we see the orange of Ranyal we stop there and buy it,” he said.

Akbar Khan, a local farmer, said that if government and agriculture department extended support to them, the fruit produce could be increased. “Without the government’s support, we cannot improve our business as the government can help us in marketing and exporting oranges,” he added.

SNOW: The fresh spell of snowfall and rain has made the weather chilly in Shangla district.

The snowfall started in mountainous areas and rain in plan areas on Tuesday night and continued on Wednesday. The most affected areas were Yakhthangay, Speen Ghar, Kapar Banda, Ajmer, Gamtal, Shangla Top and Lelwanai where one foot snow was recorded.

Heavy downpour disturbed routine life in plain areas of Besham city, Alpuri, Chakesar, Puran, Shahpor and Karora.

PROTEST: The members of Awami Workers Party held a demonstration to condemn attack on Bacha Khan University Charsadda and express solidarity with the affected families.

Addressing the protesters, AWP district president Nasirullah Khan said that under a well-planned conspiracy Pakhtun children were being targeted in schools and universities so that they could not get education. He strongly condemned attack on Bacha Khan University wherein 21 people were killed.

Speaking on the occasion, AWP district general secretary Kashif Raza said urged the people to shun difference and unite to save future of their children by defeating militants.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2016