🇵🇰 Pakistani Fruits & Vegetables

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Fresh from Farm, Cauliflower

 

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Apricot:
Temperate Gold Of Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan Region

Agha Muhammad Ajmal

The Gilgit-Baltistan region (formerly Northern Areas) of Pakistan, defined in general terms, cover the districts of Gilgit, Diamer, Ghizer, Ghanche and Skardu. The Nature has endowed the region with high peaks and large glaciers concentrated in a relatively small radius. Each district can boast of at least one lofty peak. K-2 with a height of 8,611 meters (28,416 feet) lies majestically in Skardu district overlooking the Chinese territory. Nanga Parbat with a height of 8,138 meters (26,855 feet) is located in Diamer whereas the 7,788-meter (25,700-foot) high Rakaposhi is situated in Gilgit. Some 28 peaks of the area are over 20,000 feet high.

Whereas Diamer does not have any glacier worth mentioning, Gilgit, Skardu and Ghanche offer some formidable glaciers, like Biafo, Baltoro and Siachin, which is 72-kilometer-long and the largest in the world outside the poles. Geopolitically, it is the most sensitive area of Pakistan. It touches Xinjiang in the north and Afghanistan in the northwest with Tajikistan close behind. On the southern side there is a stretch of over 300-mile-long ceasefire line with Indian-held Kashmir and Ladakh. With the opening of the Karakoram Highway, the region has acquired additional strategic and political importance. The area is spread over 72,496 square kilometers, approximately the size of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with a present population of nearly 800,000 and a low density of eight persons per square kilometer, living in some 650 small villages.

There are eight ethnic groups: Baltis, Yashkuns, Mughal, Kashmiries, Pathans, Ladakhis and Turks, speaking eight different languages namely Shina, Balti, Brushiski, Khwar, Wakhi, Urdu, Pashto, and Persian. The four major religious sects are Sunnis, Shias, Ismailies and Noorbukshies. Sunnis are mostly in Diamer and Gilgit districts. The majority of Shias are in Skardu and Ghanche districts. The Ismailies are mostly in Ghizer district and in Hunza subdivision of Gilgit district.

Livelihood in northern mountains of Pakistan is largely subsistence oriented. Hence household level agriculture i.e. small scale crop cultivation to produce cereals mainly wheat, fodder crops for livestock, orchards, etc, and animal production remains the biggest support to household economy. Fifty percent of the respondents depend on only household agriculture (HHA). Second largest category of them (42 percent) support livelihood employment along with HHA, although off-farm employment opportunities in Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) belt of Pakistan is quite limited. Family members do seek employment in the plains of Pakistan. Small fraction of people (six percent) is engaged in local level micro-enterprise like retail shops called business in addition to HHA. Only two percent of the people are farmers as well as daily-wage laborers.

In Gilgit-Baltistan region, apricots along with other deciduous fruits are primarily produced as cash crop where majority of families grow apricot. Average household has 28 trees of which nine are bearing fruit and producing 750 kilograms of apricot per annum (GOP, 1989). The practice of planting seeds from the best trees over an extended period of time has resulted in an incredible amount of variation.

Many years ago, the farmers did learn to graft, hence in each village in addition to seedling trees, one would now find many favorite local cultivars. Distribution of favorite cultivars remained uneven because some existed in only one village and others were widely distributed but primarily within the confines of each former kingdom. In several villages survey showed 180 different cultivars as a sample of variation that existed in the region. It reported 31 local cultivars in Ghanche district. Overall, good quality apricots are characterized as very high in soluble solids and sweet kernels with relatively small size. Fruit size was not important selection criterion.

Apricots are by far the single largest livelihood source with immediate commercial potential for a significant proportion of population in Gilgit-Baltistan although farmers have yet to realize its full potential. Forty (40) percent of the rural households would annually earn Rs5,000-6,000 from apricot and its byproduct in Gilgit-Baltistan. A farmer would often have as few as two or three trees of the same cultivar mixed with others. Therefore, grading becomes the main problem.

 

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In Hunza, one of the larger fruited cultivar has outstanding quality for both fresh as well as dry use, with high soluble solids, pronounced aroma, and rich flavor. ‘Alishah Kakas’ is another favorite in Hunza because of its exceptionally high soluble solids, fine quality and firm texture making it suitable for shipping fresh and excellent for drying.

In Baltistan, ‘Margulam’ is prized as a fresh fruit for its juiciness, sweetness and fine flavor, whereas ‘Halmon’ is the best for drying due to its high soluble solids and rapid drying characteristic. ‘Kachachuli’ is unique too, although the fruit has relatively high soluble solids, the flesh reaches a moderate degree of firmness and did not soften further with age, hence its local name actually said, ‘apricot that doesn’t ripen’. ‘Kachachuli’ is grown mainly for its large edible seed. A local storage cultivar is said to hold its quality until March once stored underground as per indigenous practices.

Farmers own a variety of fruit plants including apricot, apples, almond, pear, cherry, walnut, etc. Fruits have mainly been produced to meet annual family needs for dry fruit, particularly during severe winter. Among all respondents in the abovementioned survey, 86 percent ranked apricot as their most preferred fruit tree because apricot would meet most of their subsistence needs.

Dried apricot and kernels are main dry fruits for winter. Most fuel wood is obtained from apricot trees. Oil from kernels is obtained for various domestic uses. Cracked kernel shells are also used as fuel. The second preferred fruit plant is apple (10 percent).

There is considerable scope to introduce new cultivars with extended shelf life and successive ripening sequence over the season to extend the apricot marketing down to big commercial centers of plains. It is reported that about 60 apricot varieties in Gilgit-Baltistan, whereas Halman, Karfochuli, Marghulam and Sharakarfa are the prime.

Most apricot cultivars blossom in early March. The blossoming time is about a fortnight and may be prolonged or shortened by the presence or absence of cold spell. Considerable variation is also shown by different cultivars in their blossoming habits. The incidence of frost during March is common and considerable damage to apricot crop is annually experienced.

 

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Some fruits grown in Pakistan are: Orange, Mango, Apple, Apricot, Banana, Cherry, Dates, Guava, Peach, Lemon, Litchi, Papaya, Olive, mulbery, Plums, Pear, Pomegranate, Strawberry, Sweet lime, and a lot of dry fruits including Almonds, Pistachios and Walnuts.


Orange ( مالٹا )

Pakistan is the sixth largest producer of Kinow (mandarin) and oranges in the world, with 2.1 million tons. Pakistan world mandarin and oranges market share during the year 1997 was 0.9 percent and 3.6 percent in terms of value and volume respectively.

Pakistan is also the largest producer of ‘Citrus Reticula’ variety (Kinow), this unique variety of citrus is indigenous to this part of the world. According to an estimate approx. 95 percent of the total Kinow produced all over the world is grown in Pakistan.

The soil and climatic conditions in Pakistan have given the Kinnow a unique flavor which distinguishes it from other comparable mandarins grown in the world. An ideal condition for growing kinnow includes abundance of water, rich nitrogen content in the soil and relatively cool weather. Winter in the plains of Punjab province provides an excellent atmosphere for this fruit and the resulting fruit is sweet and has a very distinct taste.



Mango ( آم )

Pakistan produces over 150 varieties of mango. Mango is the fruit par excellence of Subcontinent. Pakistan is an important mango growing country in the world. The soil and climatic conditions of Pakistan are highly suitable for mango cultivation. According to FAO production year book of 2001, Pakistan stands FIFTH among mango growing countries of the World.

Mango enjoys second position after citrus in Pakistan. It is grown in the province of Punjab over an area of 48413 hectares out of 94121 hectares in the country (MINFAL 99- 2000). Most of the remaining acreage is planted in Sindh. At present, (1999-2000) the total annual production of fruits in Pakistan is 58,46,342 tons. Even if all of this production reaches to the consumers, per head per day availability of fruit is meagre 114 grams. Fresh and processed fruits and vegetables export make up less than 1 percent of Pakistan’s total export. That is a matter of concern when the need for diversification of export is badly felt.

The mango from Pakistan is well known for its taste and quality abroad. More than 53,000 tons of mango is exported to neighbouring and European countries, i.e. Afghanistan, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, France, Malayasia and Singapore etc. fetching foreign exchange. Langra, Dusehri, Samar Behisht, Chaunsa, Anwar Ratol are important varieties grown in Punjab. Sindhri, Bagan Pali, Suwarneka, Neelum and Gulab Khas are leading ones from Sindh.

 

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Watermelon ( تربوز )
It’s an all time favorite fruit for most Pakistanis especially because of its sweet and refreshing quality to combat the deadly heat. And the feeling one gets if given the middle part, without the seeds, is quite invigorating.

Falsay (Grewia) ( فالسہ )
Native to Southern Asia, it’s famously used as a chilled summer drink, or eaten with sprinkled black salt. Oh, the sweet and sour taste of this fruit is heavenly!
It is a shrub or small tree growing to 8 m tall. The leaves are broadly rounded, 5–18 cm long and broad, with a petiole 1–1.5 cm long. The flowers are venkanna in cymes of several together, the individual flowers about 2 cm diameter, yellow, with five large (12 mm) sepals and five smaller (4–5 mm) petals. The fruit is an edible drupe 5–12 mm diameter, purple to black when ripe.

Peaches ( آڑو )
Peaches and apricots are cousins, they say. It is a traditional crop of Northern area of Pakistan, and has a distinct aroma. Due to its delicious flavor and high demand, farmers have also aimed at foreign markets for export.

 

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Apricots ( خوبانی )

These beautifully orange colored fruits with their velvety skin are full of beta-carotene and fiber. They’re also a cash crop for many households in Gilgit-Baltistan region where the apricots are extremely sweet and tasty.

Plums (آلو بخارہ)

Pakistani plums known as aloo bukhara in Urdu, are extremely juicy, and tasty. Even the ones without the juice, end up leaving a sweet and sour taste. Their chutneys are so tangy, and have great medical benefits.

Jamun (Jambolan or syzygium) ( جامن )

Native to the Subcontinent, Jamun, when sprinkled and shaken up in black salt are so delectable that they’re hard to put down until the whole bowl is finished. The fruit has a combination of sweet, mildly sour and astringent flavour and tends to colour the tongue purple. The seed is also used in various alternative healing systems like Ayurveda (to control diabetes, Unani and Chinese medicine for digestive ailments.
The pulp of the fruit, extracts from the bark and seeds is of great benefit when it comes to lowering of blood glucose level. Taking dried extract of the seeds orally, greatly reduces the blood sugar and glucosuria.
The leaves and bark are used for controlling blood pressure and gingivitis. Wine and vinegar are also made from the fruit. It has a high source in vitamin A and vitamin C.

Lychee ( لیچی )

Pakistani Lychee industry has immense potential and prospects because of its thick, juicy pulp and amazing taste. Mostly it is grown in Southern Punjab during the peak hot dry weather. It is also hard to export it because it remains best when consumed fresh.

 

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Ber ( بير )

One of the lesser known fruits, ber fruit, is not found in many parts of the world. Tropical countries like Africa, parts of pakistan, India, China and Australia are the only countries where it grows. This shiny little red fruit though has a whole lot of benefits to it that it has through the ages been called as ‘the fruit that removes sorrow’.

Vitamins A and C along with all the calcium that are present in the Ber fruits are responsible for their nutritional value. Along with that, Ber fruits are also known to contain 18 of the 24 essential amino acids that the body needs. This is probably why it was used in an ancient Chinese herbal medicine and still continues to be a prominent part of Ayurveda and Chinese medicine.

Here are a few of the health benefits of ber fruits:

• 1. Known for its anti-cancer properties
• 2. Aids in weight loss
• 3. Strengthens the immune system
• 4. Keeps your teeth, bones and muscle healthy
• 5. Helps keep skin healthy and young
• 6. Soothes the nervous system with its sedative properties
• 7. Helps aid digestion
• and many More

 

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loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) becomes available during the months of March/April in Pakistan. There is no identified cultivar of loquat available on a large scale and the majority of the orchards are seed propagated and not uniform.

Recently, research work has been initiated for identification, collection and multiplication of loquat genotypes. Cultural practices adopted in most of our loquat orchards are primitive and with few exceptions are not up to world standards.

Production and quality of loquat fruit can be increased by the identification and further multiplication of high quality genotypes, by adopting recommended cultural practices such as pruning, thinning, irrigation and plant protection, and postharvest efforts to increase shelf life.

 

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Haripur, Hazara, KPK..

 

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Cherry from Hunza, GB ...

 

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Persimmon

Persimmons has a lot of vitamins, minerals, fiber and beneficial plant compounds. It has a sweet taste. What’s more, they may promote heart health, reduce inflammation, support healthy vision and keep the digestion controlled. Keeping the body system healthy. In Pakistan they are known as “AMLOOK” or “Japanese fruit”.although they originate from china. In India they are called “Tendu Phal”. Pakistan also produces persimmon.

They are usually available in early winters during the months of September, October and November. This is a very delicate fruit. This beautiful fruit have many advantages that includes high blood pressure control fruit , fluid retention, constipation, hiccough, and stroke. It also improves blood flow and reducing body temperature. It also increase vision. reduces inflammation and used for skin clearance fruit. It covers vitamins, fibre and potassium need of the body. Its sunnah to eat fresh and seasonal fruit in the beginning of the season. It keeps the body immune to fight for seasonal changes.

Persimmons can be eaten fresh, dried or cooked and are commonly used around the world in jellies, drinks, pies, curries and puddings. eatable persimmon is usually very soft.it can be eaten with skin or without skin, depending on personal taste. This is a loaded nutrient fruit. One persimmon daily contain 20% of the daily food portion.

Persimmon have huge list of benefits other than its only taste that is super delicious. One must try persimmon juice or shake without milk this winter it will never be forgotten.


SHANGLA: Persimmon is the popular fruit of Shangla where over 2,000 orchards exist and trees of red and tasty persimmon line the roads of the valley.

Local people say that the persimmon produced in Shangla has a unique taste and its beautiful shape and colour attract buyers. The fruit is locally known as “Soor Amlok” or red persimmon.

“There is no proper market and facility in the district to preserve and export the fruit. We can play our role in increasing foreign exchange for the country if such arrangements were made by the government,” said Amir Zeeb Khan, a farmer, while talking to this correspondent.

He said that these days the fruit was being supplied in big quantities to the markets in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi and other cities. “Score of workers can be seen in the gardens and orchards picking persimmon and earning a handsome amount of money. The fruit harvest this year is more than the previous seasons and the business is increasing with the passage of time,” Mr Khan said.

He regretted that there was no proper market to supply the fruit on time to the cities and export it. He said that 25 per cent of the persimmon fruit was wasted in the orchards. He added that the government should take steps to make sure in time supply of persimmon to the market.

Farooq, owner of several persimmon orchards at Bely Baba, said he had been supplying packed persimmon fruit to different parts of the country. He said that the persimmon business was also a source of income for the poor workers, while students also used to pick the fruit at orchards to earn pocket money.

“The government’s interest to find foreign markets for persimmon would contribute to revenue generation,” he said, adding that owing to the government’s negligence growers of persimmon had been suffering.

A local agricultural expert said that persimmon was the only fruit which did not need fertilizer and water. He said that the fruit was more useful for human health than other types of fruit.

 

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Ber

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