MINGORA: The local farmers and orchard owners have demanded of the government to announce a package for the growers affected by the recent hailstorm in Kokarai union council.

They were speaking at Kokarai Kisan Forum organised by Khpal Kaliwal Tanzeem to discuss the issues faced by farmers, orchard owners and other people related to agriculture.

They said that Kokarai union council had more than 40,000 residents and more than 75 per cent of them were dependent on farming. They mainly grow wheat, maize and paddy as major crops.

However, the farmers said that the recent rain and heavy hailstorm destroyed the wheat crop, peas and orchards of peaches, plum, persimmon, apple and pears.

“The peach, plum, persimmon, apple and pear orchards over 5,000-acre land have been completely destroyed by the recent hailstorm. Over 4,000 families are dependent on these orchards,” said Fazal Maula, an agriculture expert and chairman of Khpal Kaliwal Tanzeem.

The farmers said that the wheat crop ready for harvest was also destroyed by the hailstorm. They said that they had spent their entire money to take care of the crops and orchards.

“I have grown plum and peach over 50-acre land which I had got on lease and for its proper care, fertilisers and pesticide spray I borrowed money from the fruit dealers. Now I do not know from where I will pay to the landowner and dealers because the fruits in orchards have been destroyed by the hailstorm,” said Mohammad Ishaq.

Rashid Ahmad, another farmer, whose plum orchard was also destroyed, said that the recent hailstorm inflicted at least Rs1 million losses on him.

The members of agriculture advocacy unit of Khpal Kaliwal Tanzeem said that according to their survey, the collective losses caused by the hailstorm and rain were worth Rs2 billion.

“The government must help the agriculture sector so that it could play its role in food security, prosperity of the area, provision of jobs and environmental betterment,” they said.

The farmers also said that government should introduce crop insurance schemes.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2020