WHEAT is sown extensively all over the country during winter, covering over eight million hectares, more or less three times higher the area devoted to cotton— the second largest crop of the country.

Harvesting around 20 million metric tons of grains, we had to import wheat worth billions of rupees each year except a few lucky ones. Henceforth, during the past 30 years since the secession of the former East Pakistan, we imported wheat exceeding 361 million tons worth around Rs274 billion. The question is, why do we have to import such huge quantities of wheat when we ourselves produce massive quantities? Keeping this purpose in view, we will have a close look at our dietary patterns, both in rural as well as urban areas, comparing them with Dutch and American patterns.

While having a look at our dietary pattern, we find a glaring difference.Perhaps we eat nothing except “chapatis” during our three meals in a day,whereas a person in developed country consumes only 2 to 3 slices of bread at a time and substitute them by more of fresh or canned vegetables, fruits, potato in different forms, meat, milk and eggs. Our diet remains most imbalanced as we stuff our bellies with “roties”, as we feed wheat-straw (bhoosa) to animals. In fact, Pakistani curry consists only of a few pieces of vegetables with lot of spicy fluid running around. Although the rich afford to have meat for them, in most cases, that too is not hygienic.

The pertinent question that arises is, should we go on consuming wheat like this or we should change our dietary pattern? Moreover, can we have nutritive eatables at cheaper price? The answer is, ‘yes’, provided we stop spending billions of rupees on cold and hot beverages having no nutritive value. The situation would become much more easier if we were to stop spending huge amounts of money we spend on smoking, which is also a health hazard.

By and large, almost all Pakistani fruits and vegetables are most delicious, it is strange that they are consumed in much lesser quantity. However, carrot and radish should be eaten in abundance, as both are healthful and nourishing. In fact, carrot is considered to be a poor man’s apple. They should be consumed raw or in whatever form they are available as they constitute one of the best diets. It is strange that we like to serve our guests imported synthesised juices when we can easily serve them with carrot or mango juices which would not only be cheaper but more nutritious as well. Not only this, we could also export these juices and earn a handsome amount of foreign exchange.

The diet of a common Pakistani is most imbalanced in the sense that it consist mainly of a very high intake of carbohydrates derived from wheat and rice. Actually, meat should have been the main constituent. However it is not only quite expensive but in most cases also fails in meeting the required hygienic standards. The beef available at shops generally is poor in quality as sick animals are also slaughtered for human consumption.

Pulses are an alternate in the form of crude protein to meat but they too are getting out of the reach of common man because of their price. The reason is that for the last 20 years, the yield of pulses have remained stagnant at around 5-6 maunds per acre and the government has to import them every year. For instance, 262,000 tons of pulses worth Rs 2.9 billion were imported in 1995-96, 80 ,000 tons worth Rs1.13 billion in 1996-97; 118,000 tons worth Rs1.75 billion in1997-98; 162,000 tons worth Rs2.7 billion in 1998-99 and 267,000 tons worth Rs2.8 billion in 1999-00.

Gram and lentil are usually sown in rain-fed tracts, where available moisture is most limiting in conjugation with poor quality of seed and agronomic conditions.

Sowing of both of these crops will commence in a few weeks time. If instead of wheat, both of these crops are sown on a large scale in rice belt, it is likely that their yield would increase at least by four times. One could be sure that growing of gram and lintel would be much more rewarding as compared to wheat.

Milk is the most essential constituent of human diet for all ages. Its consumption is somewhat higher in rural areas compared to urban areas. However, an average person in developed country like Holland and the US consumes almost three times more compared to Pakistanis.The quality of milk supplied through ‘gawalas’ and even milk pack companies is not upto the mark as these companies do not have their own farms.

Some of the ‘gawalas’ who bring milk from very long distances, especially during the summer , add formaldehyde— a poisonous substance— to arrest any bacterial growth in the milk. Some of the ‘gawalas’, when their milch animals fails to produce the required milk, inject them certain hormones. Such milk is harmful to young girls as it hasten up the process of puberty.

As is evident, the intake of fruits, potato, fish, poultry, meat, egg, etc. is miserably poor among poor Pakistanis. If larger quantities of vegetables, fruits, pulses, meat, milk and poultry products were to be produced, cost of such items come down considerably, enabling an average Pakistani to buy them.

During winters, a wide range of vegetables such as carrots, radish, turnip, potato, cualiflower, cabbage, sag (green sarsoon), are available at affordable prices and in summers, potato, cucumber, melons, okra, and gourd and fruits such as kinno, are available, which could be used to balance dietary deficiencies.

According to a practicing physician friend of long standing in southern rural Punjab, the problem of nutrition has worsened and it may result in serious health problems for general public, especially the women folk and the children, as a vast majority of them, especially in villages, are anaemic. The incidence of tuberculosis has also increased manifold over a period of time.

Growing of fruits and vegetables on a larger scale with proper growing technology will not only produce greater quantities as compared to wheat and rice but it also will fetch more money for growers and consequently better economy of country. And If we consume more of them, we shall have not to import that much wheat every year.