Muhammad Saleem

Agricultural scientists have asked farmers to cultivate papaya owing to its potential for generating sustainable profits. Papaya holds great financial rewards for the farmers, carrying a potential to earn between Rs1.5 million and Rs2 million per acre annually. Dr Sajid-ur-Rehman, Director General of Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad, said that papaya is beneficial in treating hepatitis and cancer. “Besides, it also contains calcium, proteins and vitamin C,” he added. Talking to WealthPK, he said sensing the importance of papaya, the institute’s scientists were trying their best to encourage farmers to go for its cultivation. “Punjab and Sindh are ideal for papaya cultivation as the demand of this fruit is surging world over,” he added. He said memoranda of understanding had been signed to develop hybrid seeds for papaya varieties like Rubi, Yellow and Red King. He said following development of such seeds, papaya plants will be widely available on the market at affordable rates.

Malik Mohsin Abbas, another scientist at the institute, said that for a couple of years papaya farming has registered a sharp rise in different coastal areas of Sindh like Thatta, Badin, Makran, and Lasbela. Similarly, he said farmers of central Punjab districts, including Faisalabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Toba Tek Singh, Sahiwal, and Okara, have also opted for papaya cultivation sensing its significant potential. He said papaya has been cultivated over 10,000 acres in Punjab. He said papaya is enriched with nutrients, like carbohydrates, water and protein. “People call papaya a nutritional powerhouse.” Mohsin said farmers can easily enhance their earnings significantly through papaya cultivation. Ahmed Sher, a farmer, told WealthPK that growers are inexperienced to tackle issues related to papaya cultivation as most of them are new to the game. Due to this, he said the growers are hesitant to go for papaya cultivation, though it could be a cash cow.

He said diseases of papaya, including fungi, bacteria and viruses, are taking a toll on farmers’ finances. “Without arming farmers with the latest training and solutions to tackle these diseases, agricultural scientists would not be able to promote papaya cultivation significantly,” he said. Ahmed said due to diseases, farmers are finding it difficult to get good yield. “By cultivating papaya on farms, growers can easily strike gold every year, earning Rs1.5 million to Rs2 million per acre.”  He said papaya is a goldmine for growers in Pakistan, carrying a potential to boost their financial position. “But the question is who will show them the ropes to maximise the potential of this fruit.” Dr Ahmed Khan, a faculty member at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, said that papaya thrives in the warm climate, and weather of Pakistan is ideal for this fruit. He said it needs less water as compared to traditional crops cultivated in the country.

He said currently Pakistani farmers are new to this crop and are complaining about multiple diseases, though it is relatively resistant to diseases and pests. “However, with the passage of time, both agricultural scientists and farmers will be able to crack the code on its issues and start exports by enhancing productivity.” “Farmers can get quick returns of their hard work and investments as the papaya trees start yielding fruit within a year,” he said, adding the plant also requires a low-maintenance. Ahmed, the grower, also urged farmers to jump on the bandwagon of papaya cultivation as it offers a higher yield per acre than traditional crops like wheat or cotton. Besides, he said the market demand for papaya, particularly in urban areas, is sky-high.  He asked the government to extend subsidies to farmers to set up papaya farms as the initial cost is steep.

Credit: INP-WealthPk