A Study about date palm

INTRODUCTION

 The date palm is a major source of earning currency in the state of African, Arab, and Asian nations where it is grown successfully. The date fruit is generally regarded as one of the most significant economic plants that have a long period to survive in the world in arid climates.

 Date palm is a portion of good food for future generations because of its strong nutritional content, profitability, and environmental advantages. Dates contain a high carbohydrate (total sugars, 44-88%), fat (0.2-0.5%), protein (2.3-5.6%), pectin (0.5-3.9%), dietary fibre (6.4-11.5%), fifteen salts, at least fifteen minerals, and six vitamins content. Dates have 0.2-0.5 percent oil in their flesh and 7.7-9.7% oil in their seeds. Fat acids contain in both the date and its seed. In addition, the seeds have varying amounts of aluminum, cadmium, chloride, lead, sulfur, and oleic acid.

 Different date’s fruit has lengths ranging from 2.80 cm to 5.92 cm and diameters ranging from 0.59 cm to 1.37 cm. Furthermore, the five colors may be seen in the fruits of date palm varieties. Alany date has yellow, Samany date is yellow with red spots, Amry cultivar was orange, Zaghloul was bright red, and both hay any and Bent-Aisha were red scarlet. The date palm is a multi-purpose tree that provides food, shelter, and lumber.

 Dates have a high economic value and are consumed in large quantities all around the world. They are also economically important for Pakistan, which is suffering from a lack of exports. They may be found in large numbers in Pakistan, where they flourish in the hot climate.

 Date trees are grown across a total area of 223.88 thousand acres in Pakistan, which is a large amount of land given the importance of the date trees.  on the other hand, the govt paid less attention to the production of dates palm. Pakistan generates around 531.2 thousand tons per year despite such massive neglect (Desk 2012).

 In central Sindh and Baluchistan, dates are mostly grown. As a result, Baluchistan is the most underdeveloped province of Pakistan, it produces the majority of the dates as compared to other provinces of Pakistan. In terms of date cultivation and output, the mural division leads the province of Baluchistan. As a result, due to their sources of revenue, date palm farming is not only kech but the Macron people’s backbone for earning money

The purpose of this research is to look into the economics of date palm growing, marketing, its security, and livelihoods in the Kech district of Macron Division, Baluchistan, which is known as Pakistan's center for high-quality date palm production. Macron division is made up of three districts: Kech, Panjgor, and Gwadar, with a total size of 26000 km2. Turbat, Tump, Buleda, and Dasht Tahsils are part of District Kech. In district Kech, date palms of the Begum Jangi, Halini, Konzenabad, Abdandan, Muzwati, Goknah, Rogini, Hussaini, Dishtari, Pashpag, Dandari, Shakri, Aseel, Kungo, and Dakki kinds are grown. As a result, district Kech is the most promising district for date palm development, accounting for 50 percent of total date palm land and 56 percent of total date palm production in Baluchistan Begum Jangi, a date palm variety, has the largest area (1535960 plants) and produces the highest yield ha-1 of 6880 kg, whereas variations Goknah and Halini generate the maximum yield ha-1 of 8600 kg (Government of Baluchistan, 2009). Even though the climate in district Kech is ideal for date palm production, the yields ha-1 realized are lower than the potential yields of existing date palm varieties. Furthermore, the farmers are employing centuries-old date palm farming techniques that are time and labor-intensive, resulting in greater production costs and lower net returns than the potential value. In light of the foregoing, the current research was conducted in district Kech, Baluchistan Province, Pakistan, to determine the economics of date palm production and another aspect of earning money

Background

     Because of its climate, Pakistan has a wealth of agricultural resources. Numerous date palm gardens flourish in the hot and dry climate; additionally, years of tradition have preserved the cultivation. Agriculture has been designated as a significant driver of development by the government as a result of its central importance in the financial system.

 Pakistan produces around 13.7 million tons of vegetables and fruits each year. In terms of output, citrus fruits are well ahead, followed by mango, dates, and guava. Potato and onion are the most common crops to produce.

 Dates account for almost 1% of Pakistan's total exports2017. Due to a lack of techniques of marketing infrastructure, more than 30% to 40% of the product is ruined before it reaches the purchasers. Many fruits are part of the export industry, and they span a wide range of places. Pakistani dates, for example, might be part of the export sector to generate money.

 The best time to eat dates is during the month of Ramadan. Date fruits are consumed by the whole Muslim world, which numbers more than 1.6 billion people. Consumption is also at an all-time high throughout the Christmas season. When Arabs arrived in Macron in 643 A.D., they brought dates with them. The dates were mostly utilized for eating.

Dates Production in Pakistan

     Pakistan is the fifth-largest producer of dates in the world (2017). Pakistan produces 550000 to 650000 tons of dates per year and cultivates 90000 hectares. Pakistan produces 538 thousand tons per year, with Baluchistan contributing 404 thousand, or 77% of total production. Dates are Pakistan's third most important horticulture crop. Aseel, Karaba, Fasli, and Kapro, all grown in Sindh province, are commercially important dates varieties. Muzawati, Begumjangi, Jaan, Sware, Karaba, Rabbi, Halina, Shakarok, and others are well-known in Baluchistan. In Sindh's Khairpur district, there are 7000 to 8000 date farms, six to eight-date processing facilities, and 110 date traders.

 Pakistani dates are mostly regarded as industrial and low-cost dates. After Tunisia, Pakistan is the second-largest exporter. Pakistan sells dates to Bangladesh, India, the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, Canada, Japan, South Africa, and  ( recently 15tons date has exported to Sri Lanka 2021 ) and several other countries (Naz 2013). The United States imports a total of 1079 tons of fresh dates and 667 tons of dry dates. Pakistan's date imports are Bangladesh and India. Pakistan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is being boosted to date. (Subhan, Mehmood, and colleagues, 2013) Kasannvi (2011) claims that Pakistan exported 83 thousand tons of dates and earned Rs. 40 in crude oil. According to SMEDA (2006), Pakistan bought 3.3 billion dollars worth of fresh and dried dates in 2006 from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, China, and Bahrain These imported dates, on the other hand, have little effect on the cost of local dates since local people value local dates more than imported dates. Pakistan is a major data producer, accounting for 10% of global output (2017).

 Pakistan is a great location for date farming due to its soil and seasons. Dates are farmed in all of Pakistan's provinces, although Baluchistan produces the most, followed by Sindh, Punjab, and KPK. Turbat, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Bolan, Gwadar, and follow the other districts in Baluchistan are home to date farms. Turbat and Panjgur, on the other hand, are known for their dates, both in terms of quality and quantity. In Sindh, the districts of Khairpur and Sukkur produce the most dates. Furthermore, the Punjab and KPK districts of Muzaffargarh, Jhang, and D.I Khan produce dates.

 According to a study published by the Pakistani government's Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock in Islamabad, Baluchistan produces a decent 50.8 percent of the country's total data output. Baluchistan has a capacity of 252. tons per year. Sindh has a 38.8 percent share in date production, Punjab has an 8.6 percent share, and KPK has a 2.8 percent stake. Baluchistan exports a considerable number of dates to Pakistan, which helps the country's economy.


By: Mosidiq Rahim 

The writer is the director of Risingstaring English Language Center Turbat 

Kech Balochistan