SWAT: Farmers here have said that the recent hailstorm damaged the tomato crop in Swat and appealed to the government to help them financially and provide them with tomato seeds so they could address their issues.

They said that tomato was grown over 5,000 acres in Swat. According to local agriculture department, the cultivated land produced over 51,000 metric tons of tomato every year.

“The environment of Swat is best suited to cultivation of tomato which could be produced twice a year. It is grown for the first time in June and July and then in October and November,” said Mohammad Ayaz Khan, director of Swat agricultural department.

However, the November tomato crop had been badly damaged by hailstorm in Swat.

“The heavy rainfall and hailstorm have extensively damaged my crop which affected me financially. It is the only source of earning for me and my family,” said Akbar Ali, a grower in Barikot.

The farmers said prices of tomato also went up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to damage to the crop. Azizul Wahab, another grower in Barikot, said that this time rain and hailstorm had hit the area unexpectedly as it was not a rainy season. Tomato prices have risen across the country due to low yields.

Agricultural experts said climate change had affected the rain pattern which in turn had a negative impact on crops in the region.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2021