KP’s Strawberry Farmers Battle Climate and Water Fears
Fakhar e Alam
Peshawar: As the first golden rays of dawn stretch across the fertile fields of tehsil Razar in Swabi, 40-year-old farmer Naseer Khan begins his day earlier than most, baskets in hand, plucking strawberries that will soon grace iftar tables across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
For Naseer and thousands of seasonal fruit farmers in KP and Punjab, strawberries are more than a delicacy, they are a lifeline.
Cultivated on raised beds with dense planting, a single acre can yield up to 17,000 kilograms during peak season, fetching more than Rs 1 million for well-managed plots. Prices surge to around Rs 500 per kilogram during Ramadan, reflecting the fruit’s prized status.
Yet, beneath the rosy harvest lies a web of challenges. Water uncertainty looms large after India’s unilateral suspension of aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) last year.
Pakistan’s agriculture relies heavily on the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers, with irrigation from Tarbela Dam sustaining crops like wheat, rice, sugarcane, and fruits including strawberries and watermelons.
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Farmers warn that any disruption could devastate harvests and threaten food security.
Climate change adds to the anxiety. Erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events have already impacted yields.
In Charsadda, farmer Munahmir Khan notes that irregular rain reduced his strawberry output this season, cutting daily income and forcing smallholders to seek interest-free loans. Floods in 2022 along the Kabul and Swat rivers damaged fields, highlighting the crop’s vulnerability to climate shocks.
Experts warn that the stakes extend far beyond seasonal profits. Professor Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad, former chairman of Environmental Science at the University of Peshawar, cautions that continued IWT violations and changing rainfall patterns could trigger a humanitarian crisis.
“Fruit orchards, wheat, and rice production in KP, Punjab, and Sindh could face severe impacts, exposing millions to hunger,” he says.
Dr Muhammad Zilakat Malik, economist and former department chairman, adds that unpredictable water releases disrupt irrigation planning and leave farmers bearing the brunt.
To safeguard agriculture, experts advocate fast-tracking hydropower and water storage projects, including Diamer-Bhasha Dam and Mohmand Dam, alongside smaller dams that can be completed within a few years.
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With demand projected to rise, Pakistan will need an additional 76 million acre-feet of water by 2050 to sustain its agricultural and domestic needs.
Back in Swabi, Naseer and his brothers continue harvesting under the growing sun, aware that their labor, patience, and hope are inseparable from the rivers that sustain their land. “This crop feeds our families,” Naseer says, gazing over his vibrant rows of strawberries.
“We just hope the water keeps flowing, so our fields, and our livelihoods, can survive.”
For thousands of farmers across KP and Punjab, strawberries are more than a seasonal fruit—they are a testament to resilience amid climate pressures, geopolitical tensions, and the ever-uncertain flow of water that determines the future of Pakistan’s agriculture.
