Rising Temperatures Shatter Plum Harvest in Peshawar

APP

Peshawar: The once-thriving plum orchards of Peshawar are facing an unprecedented crisis as an unseasonal April heatwave, coupled with erratic rains and hailstorms, has obliterated nearly 90% of this year’s fruit crop.

For generations, plum cultivation has been the lifeblood of farmers stretching from Urmar to Surezai along Kohat Road. Today, these farmers stand on the brink of economic ruin, grappling with losses that threaten to erase a century-old heritage.

Broken Livelihoods

Muhammad Haroon, a plum grower from Urmar, recalls the stark contrast between this year and the last. “Last year, I sold about 3,500 cartons of plums, each weighing six to seven kilograms,” he said. “This year, the number dropped dramatically to just 95 cartons.” What was once a flourishing family business has now been reduced to a shadow of itself.

Financially, the losses are staggering. Last year, Haroon’s orchard generated approximately Rs. 2.8 million in revenue. This year, his earnings plummeted to a mere Rs. 76,000 — a catastrophic blow after investing over Rs. 100,000 in pesticides and soil preparation. With no viable harvest, many growers are being forced to abandon plum farming altogether, scrambling for alternative incomes.

Labour and Community Impact

The ripple effects extend beyond the orchard owners. The laborers, many of whom depend on seasonal work to support their families, have seen their employment opportunities evaporate. Haroon lamented, “In previous years, I hired over a dozen laborers during harvest. This year, only one laborer worked briefly.”

Zakaria, another orchard owner in Urmar, described his losses as even more severe. “Last year, my orchard yielded more than 5,000 cartons; this year, fewer than 100,” he said. The key culprit, he explained, was the sudden and abnormal rise in temperatures during April, which prevented the plum flowers from blossoming.

The Invisible Enemy

Experts confirm what farmers fear. Nisar Ahmad, an official at the Agriculture Research Institute Tarnab, described April 2025 as the hottest month in Pakistan’s history. “Such extreme heat, combined with irregular rainfall and hailstorms, is wreaking havoc not only on plums but also on other fruits like peaches,” Nisar stated.

According to data from 2021-22, approximately 2,754 hectares in Peshawar are dedicated to plum cultivation — a vital source of income for many rural families. Yet, the fruit’s growth depends on 400 to 500 “cooling hours” during winter and spring, which are rapidly declining due to global warming.

“The changing climate is disrupting natural cycles,” Nisar explained. “Erratic weather patterns damage crops and threaten the very sustainability of horticulture in the region.”

With no end to these climate extremes in sight, farmers urgently call for government support. They demand subsidies, introduction of climate-resilient crop varieties, and disaster relief mechanisms to cushion the devastating impact.

“If this continues, Peshawar’s plum orchards may disappear altogether,” Zakaria warned. The loss of these orchards would not only devastate the region’s economy but also erase a cultural legacy built over generations.

The plight of Peshawar’s plum growers is a stark reminder of the tangible impacts of climate change on Pakistan’s agriculture and rural livelihoods. Without immediate intervention, these communities face not only financial collapse but also the loss of a centuries-old identity intertwined with the land. The future of Peshawar’s plums — once a symbol of prosperity — now hangs precariously in the balance.