LOWER DIR: Farmers in Talash Valley and other parts of Lower Dir district have complained that a mysterious disease has hit their standing tomato crop this year, causing them huge financial losses.

Talking to Dawn, several growers said they had already used costly pesticides available in the market, but the sprays had no effect. They alleged that private companies were selling substandard pesticides and spurious seed under the label of imported varieties.

Nawab Khan, a farmer from Dheri Talash, said officials of the agriculture department had failed to extend any support. “Even their field assistants do not visit the affected fields. Farmers invested hundreds of thousands of rupees, but their efforts are going to waste,” he said.

Another farmer from Sarai Payeen claimed that private dealers were charging over Rs10,000 for a seed packet by claiming it to be Thai hybrid seed, but later it turned out to be of poor quality.

Farmers complain agriculture dept officials failed to help them

Tomato is among the major cash crops of Lower Dir, cultivated on hundreds of acres in Talash valley. The crop not only sustains thousands of small farmers but also feeds local markets, and is also sent to parts of Punjab. Any large-scale losses, experts warn, could severely affect rural livelihoods and the district’s agriculture-based economy.

The farmers said tomato fields in all four union councils of Talash had been badly affected, while the agriculture department had adopted “criminal silence.”

A group of growers staged a symbolic protest in Sarai Payeen here the other day, demanding immediate intervention of the agriculture department, supply of genuine seeds, pesticides and compensation for their losses.

Former tehsil nazim Riaz Mohammad also urged the government to send experts to investigate the outbreak and compensate the affected farmers. He warned that orchards in Noorakhel Talash were on the verge of destruction and farmers could lose millions of rupees if urgent steps were not taken.

When contacted, an agriculture expert, Habibul Haq, said the crop appeared to be infected by tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a DNA virus regarded as one of the most destructive tomato diseases. He explained that the virus could not be controlled through pesticides and advised growers to use resistant varieties after consulting experts.

TWO DIE ON ROAD: Two youths were killed and another sustained serious injuries when a motorcycle and a car collided in Gosam area in the jurisdiction of Munda police station on Friday night.

The deceased were identified as Manzoor Shah, a resident of Gandheray Mayar, and Rahim Badshah, a resident of Cham Bala Samarbagh. The injured Mukhtar, belonging to Gandheray, was shifted to a nearby hospital.

According to the police, the accident occurred due to the negligence and over-speeding of the car driver, Haseebullah, a resident of Rahimabad Munda.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2025