ENGINEER Raees Ahmed Raees, Regional Project Director, Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project, talked passionately about progressive gladiolus farmer Yusuf Sandhu of Chak 59, Kot Radha Kishen, Kasur. According to Engineer Raees, Mr Sandhu is an educated person. He has installed drip irrigation on his farms which uses a fraction of the water, compared to conventional irrigation systems. This is the need of the hour for Pakistan which is ‘water scarce’ currently and going towards ‘water starved’. By using drip irrigation, the quantity of fertiliser reduces too and so does its cost. Less water means less weeds because the water goes near the roots only.

Yousuf Sandhu sells his flowers between Rs 25 and Rs70 per stem if the time is right. During off-seasons the price goes as low as Rs5 a stem. This season he planted red gladiolus, especially for Valentine’s Day because last year he got Rs75 a stem for Valentine’s Day. He is now expecting Rs100 per stem.

Some 110,000 gladiolus stems are typically produced in a one-acre plot. It means that if his flowers are good and he gets his expected price of Rs 100, he will be getting Rs11,000,000 per acre for Valentine’s Day. An astonishing number by any standards.

This is what he will get if his flowers are sold in Lahore and Karachi only. One wonder as to what will he earn if his flowers are exported the way tulips are from Holland?

Gladiolus take two months from plantation to harvesting. This increases to three months during winters. It means a farmer can harvest a minimum of four crops per acre per year. Local bulbs are available for Rs4 whereas imported seeds cost Rs7 per bulb. A sum of Rs18 plus is considered great price for a stem.

Flowers have great return on investment and can be exported as they last a long time, three weeks, according to Mr Sandhu if they are taken due care. We just have to train our Sindus, our Khans, our Soomros and our Bizenjos to use modern farming techniques, efficient use of water, better seeds, optimum use of fertiliser and right amount of pesticides. They can even be trained to plant tulips. Indians have planted tulips in Srinagar and they are quite successful.

If that happens here, our farmers will not only earn more for themselves but also more for Pakistan. Let us provide them with a platform to export.

S. NAYYAR IQBAL RAZA Karachi