TAXILA: Natural agents such as harsh weather, storms and even bats have hit the lychee orchards of Punj Khatta in Taxila, causing considerable loss to farm owners due to low production.

These orchards located along Taxila-Khanpur Road always remained a major source of attraction for fruit lovers and travellers.

However, a visit to the orchards this year showed a pathetic picture as the harsh sunny weather has damaged the pulp of the fruit affecting its size.

A storm followed by rain resulted in the fall of tonnes of fruits while bats have become another serious threat to the crop this summer. The flying mammals attack the lychee orchards in flocks.

Mohammad Riaz, a local farm owner, told Dawn that bats attacked lychee trees from dawn to dusk and destroyed tonnes of ripened fruits. He said there was no strategy to counter the attack and damages caused by these mammals.

Fayyaz Khan, another farmer, said they used firecrackers and ignited fires between trees but the damages were not minimised as this works only for a few hours. It is not possible to utilise firecrackers all the night which causes extra financial burden on the farmers. He complained that the local farmers had lodged complaints with the agriculture department but the latter expressed its helplessness as there was no repellent that could keep the bats away from orchards.

Raja Kamran, another farm owner, said he suffered a loss of Rs400,000 due to the harsh summer season this year coupled with rains and a hailstorm.

Asad Zargar, a social worker, said the agriculture department had no strategy to deal with the issue, saying they knew of no repellent that could keep the bats away from orchards.

He said every farmer spent Rs1,500 to Rs2,000 daily on firecrackers to prevent the bats from damaging the trees. But all these efforts go in vain, he added.

He said last year the cost of Khanpur lychees was Rs220 per kg but owing to the losses the farmers suffered, the prict of the fruit this year was Rs350 per kg in the farm while it was available for around Rs420 in the market.

According to Professor Tahir Durrani, an educationist, Punj Khatta meant five water channels which flowed between these orchards, feeding water from nearby Khanpur Dam. He said lychees’ local variety had a unique flavour and was larger in size than the varieties grown in Punjab.

According to him, the orchards spread over 200 hectares and it was famous for producing world class oranges but lychee was only available in the market for three to four weeks each year.

Azeemi Aabid Ali, an environmentalist, said four varieties of lychee, which is of Chinese origin, were grown in Khanpur - Gola, Surahi, Bedana and China. Due to their distinct taste and size, it costs more than the varieties grown in Punjab.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2021