KOHAT: The agriculture department fears that the recent wind and hailstorm may have caused stunted growth of 40 to 43 per cent guava crop in the famous Ustarzai and Kaghzai orchards spreading over 800 acres of land.

Jawad Ahmed, an official of the agriculture department, said field workers had been sent to assess the damage to guava and other fruits like loquat, orange and plum.

He said orange was grown in the areas along the Rawalpindi Road and Kharmatu, while plum and loquat were produced at scattered places.

When contacted, agriculture department’s district executive officer Zahirullah told Dawn on Wednesday that only the budding guava fruit would have been affected by the hailstorm.

He said the real picture would come after the damage assessment was carried out.

Mr Zahirullah said the damage assessment report would be sent to the director general extension wing of the agriculture department, Peshawar.

He said it was the second time in a month that the fruit had been damaged, first due to strong winds for a week and then by hailstorm.

He said the fruit had also contracted a viral disease which had sucked its juice and damaged its peel and taste.

Mehfooz, another official, said the disease was difficult to control because the trees were so thickly grown and mingled with each other.

Iftikhar Hussain, president of Model Farms Services Centre, Kohat, has demanded of the government to extend financial help to the affected farmers because they would have to wait for months to get the new crop and make up for the losses.

He said the farmers earned over 90 per cent of the revenue during winter and spring when the fruit contracted no worms.

Now the farmers would have to wait till next winter, he added.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2021