Balochistan is also known as Pakistan’s Fruit Basket, owing to its abundance of resources. Grapes, cherries, and almonds account for 90% of national production in the province. Balochistan exports about 60% of peaches, pomegranates, apricots, around 34% of apples, and 70% of dates.
Fruit plantations span a total of 149,726 hectares, with an annual yield of about 889,490 tonnes. Balochistan exports hundreds of tonnes of apples each year, with the province producing over 80% of the high-quality apples.
Balochistan’s fruit production is reliant on groundwater. The province is also noted for its grape production, which includes a variety of types. Grapes are primarily grown in Quetta, Pishin, Kalat, Zhob, Loralia, and others.
These districts benefit not only the province but the country as a whole. Unfortunately, some communities have experienced power outages in recent years. The fruits are entirely killed by the lack of water, which is caused by frequent power outages.
Experts believe that Balochistan’s enormous yield potential might be maximised by building crop-specific zones and fruit processing plants. Experts suggest that the province should be separated into zones to produce high-quality fruit. Balochistan’s fruit farming industry has grown dramatically in recent years.
The most well-known fruits are apples and dates, which are sold to other countries. Because of Balochistan, where 80 per cent of the apples are grown, Pakistan has a strong position in the global apple market. Even though the government earns from apples, no treatment plant for their preservation has been constructed in the past.
Only Balochistan produces about 1 million tonnes of fruits. This loss is damaging the country and the small farmers who are entirely reliant on these resources. Better management can boost the earning income of local farmers in Balochistan if the provincial government works for these fruits.
