KOHAT: Harvest of bumper walnut crop has started in Orakzai district with the fruit making its way to the dry fruit markets of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Israr Orakzai, whose tribe owns a huge walnut orchard, told Dawn that walnut was selling for Rs400 to Rs600 per kilogramme depending on the size of the fruit.

“Walnut orchards are owned by 18 tribes, who have strictly prohibited cutting of trees, especially removal of walnut bark as it destroys the tree,” elder Inayat Orakzai said.

He said abundant rainfall with cold winters and mild summers were suitable for growth of fruit, which served as a livelihood source for tribesmen.

Agriculture officer Faiq Iqbal told Dawn that other major fruits in the area were pomegranate, apple, grapes, apricot and mulberry.

He said there was complete ban on smuggling of walnut bark, but still the tribesmen secretly peeled the roots and carried it to Punjab where it was used in toothpastes by industrialists. Locally, women used walnut bark to clean teeth.

To a question about the quantity of the fruit, he said so far no authentic estimates were available.

He said summer temperatures in Orakzai valley were mild at 30 degree Celsius, which further decreased in the surrounding hilly areas.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2022