Farmers suffer millions in losses as extreme weather destroys plum and strawberry crops across KP
Nearly 80 percent of this year’s strawberry crop was destroyed before reaching the market. PHOTO: PEXELS
PESHAWAR:
What should have been a season of harvest and profit has instead become a season of despair. For farmers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), violent windstorms, unseasonal rains and changing weather patterns have destroyed crops worth millions of rupees, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on Pakistan’s agricultural sector.
On the outskirts of Peshawar, where plum trees have been grown for generations, farmers say years of hard work disappeared in a matter of hours. Ripe fruit now lies scattered across muddy fields after strong winds and heavy rain hit the region just weeks before harvest.
For Shakeel Khan, a farmer from Armar village, the recent storm came at the worst possible time. “The fruit was almost ready for harvest. One night of strong winds and rain destroyed everything,” he told The Express PAkGazette.
After 24 years in farming, Shakeel revealed that almost all the plums in his orchard were uprooted from the trees, resulting in losses of up to Rs 800,000. Similarly, Nawaz Armar, another orchard owner, shared that almost 90 percent of his ripe crop was destroyed, resulting in losses of around Rs 5 million.
Farmers and traders estimate that more than 70 percent of the region’s plum orchards have been affected. In addition to fruit loss, strong winds damaged trees, threatening future yields. “It’s a double loss: the fruit is gone and the trees are also damaged,” said a fruit trader from Tarnab.
Many farmers warn that repeated climate-related disasters could force producers to abandon farming altogether. Small farmers, already struggling with the rising costs of fertilizer, seeds, fuel and transportation, are finding it increasingly difficult to recover from those losses.
The crisis is not limited to Peshawar. In Charsadda district, strawberry growers have also suffered severe damage due to untimely rains. Farmers in Sarkai, Utmanzai and Wali Bagh estimate that almost 80 percent of this year’s strawberry crop was destroyed before reaching the market.
Zareen Khan, who has been growing strawberries for three decades, revealed that she invested between Rs 400,000 and Rs 500,000 in her harvest this season. “We waited months for the harvest, but the rains dashed our hopes. Limited access to agricultural loans and rising production costs have left farmers with few options to recover,” lamented Khan.
Meteorological experts believe that these types of extreme events are becoming more common. Muhammad Faheem, deputy director of the Pakistan Meteorological Department in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, said strong winds, hailstorms and thunderstorms frequently occur between late April and June.
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“Wind speed during the recent storm reached almost 90 kilometers per hour, causing widespread damage to orchards, solar panels, electric poles and other infrastructure in Peshawar and adjacent areas,” Faheem explained.
Agricultural experts warn that climate change is changing agricultural patterns across the province. Dr Fareeda Anjum, director of soil and plant nutrition at Tarnab Agricultural Research Institute, highlighted that outdated agricultural practices and excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are also contributing to environmental stress.
“Researchers are promoting organic fertilizers, climate-smart farming techniques and modern agricultural technologies to help farmers adapt as they can no longer rely solely on traditional methods. Training, technology and adaptation are essential to protect crops from future climate-related threats,” said Dr Anjum.
As extreme weather events become more frequent and unpredictable, farmers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa fear that without urgent support and effective climate adaptation measures, agriculture, one of the province’s most important economic sectors, could face an uncertain future.
