Former Taliban stronghold and northern Pakistani province the Swat Valley holds tremendous potential as a fresh produce export hub if money is ploughed in to re-build the region’s horticulture sector, according to a leading Pakistani grower-shipper.
This fertile, mountainous province on the Pakistan-Afghan border produces a wide range of fruits, nuts and vegetables each year, most notably apples. But war, poverty and recent floods have laid waste to the land and threaten its agricultural future, said Ahmad Jawad, CEO of Harvest Tradings, after visiting Swat this week (December 8).
“Upper Swat is the largest fruit producing area, known for its high quality apples, peaches and persimmons. In the last three years, the agriculture sector has been severely affected by militancy and floods that have almost entirely destroyed crop patterns and `the region’s ability to` produce,” Jawad said in a statement.
Immediate and longer-term measures are needed to improve the situation, he added.
Farmers must be given expert advice and financial support to develop the quality of the indigenous fruit and vegetable varieties. They also need help finding new markets for their products through links with local and or multinational companies, Jawad said.
A Rs800m (US$8.9m) Early Recovery of Agriculture and Livelihood Program (ERALP) grant from Italy is helping get the province back on track, Harvest Tradings said. But further investment is urgently needed, especially in Swat’s infrastructure, which is virtually non-existent.
“Thousands of tonnes of apples are being wasted due to a lack of technical expertise and infrastructure, while production also remains limited,” said Jawad. “The profits generated from the apple industry in Swat can be increased by a substantial margin if the government shifts its focus and resources towards the sector.
Jawad conceded that the area is beset with acute internal and external problems that also need to be addressed. Security budgets, joblessness and poverty are on the rise. Illiteracy and communication problems are also more acute in the Swat Valley than anywhere else in Pakistan. Huge funds are required to rebuild the province, he said.
