According to estimates from the Sindh Agriculture Department, the province’s total production of its one and a half dozen varieties of banana in 2017 was over 127,000 tons.
However, the 2018 crop yield was lower. The farmers are selling the crop for between Rs30 and 60 per dozen (€0.38-0.76), depending on the quality of the fruit. However, some progressive farmers who were lucky to irrigate their orchards with sufficient water, getting better prices as a result.
Akbar Hussain Chughtai, a Sanghar district based manager of an orchard: “Bananas with a good aroma, colour and taste are always pricier.” He pointed out that his orchard can be counted among the ones producing quality bananas in the province. However, for a considerably high number of farmers the crop’s rates were generally lower this season.
Imdad Talpur, owns a farm in Matiari district. Until the 1980s, the coastal district Thatta was known for banana cultivation but the farmers say Bunchy Top ravaged the orchards. It is now largely grown in Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Badin, Nawabshah, Khairpur and Hyderabad districts.
The crop’s arrival in the market though continues through the year, peaks from the months of September to December and a gradual downslide follows from January onward.
Prof Ismail Kumbhar of Sindh Agriculture University, states the fruit is particularly sensitive to heatwaves, frost, water scarcity and diseases. “In 2018, the crop was badly hit by the water shortage,” he said adding that “the production has also lowered from 2017.” The orchards require more water mostly from August to December. ”Last week I was travelling in Khairpur district. I saw their banana leaves paling,” he told, explaining that except for the orchards located around head irrigation system, a majority of farms had been badly affected by the water unavailability.
He lamented that in addition to the lower yields, the absence of grading, packing, marketing and transportation usually caused up to 40 per cent of post-harvest losses.
