Khairpur's golden harvest and the women behind it

[Devil Soul]

Khairpur's golden harvest and the women behind it
NADIA AGHA
Although date palm is a developing industry in Pakistan, the country is already one of the largest producers of this fruit crop in the world. And in the business of producing dates, the city of Khairpur holds a very significant place.

Khairpur’s village economy is based on date palm processing and export; this is a source of employment not only for the villagers in Khairpur but also residents of nearby cities, who migrate to the district to work during the crop harvest season. Most of the workers are men, though, with only a small number of women seen working in farms, and that too, the more aged ones.

A majority of Khairpur's dates are exported to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The total annual production of dates in Pakistan is about 0.54 million tons with contribution from Sindh at 0.28 million tonnes.

The date variety predominantly found in Khairpur is called Aseel. 85 per cent of these dates are dried and turned into choharas.

The dates are boiled in water mixed with yellow colour for some time before being taken out to dry.

A large number of men in the villages do not have regular employment and rely on the date palm business.

The dates are boiled in water mixed with yellow colour for about 20 minutes before being taken out to dry.
As in other parts of Pakistan, young women’s economic independence in this region is also subject to patriarchal authority; their access to the public sphere is strictly controlled and they are mostly restricted to the private sphere. Young women, therefore, cannot carry out income-generating activities by directly working in the fields. There is a stigma attached to their mobility.

But Khairpur's young women still do not sit idle and participate in this business indirectly.

They use the date palm by-products to make handicrafts such as mats (tado), baskets (tokri), pots (pindi) and hand fans, besides processing the dates andchoharas (dried dates) at their homes. The date palm leaves are utilised to make hand fans, while the mats are used to sun dry the fruit.

The mats are the hardest to make as the work involves sophistication and its straws can damage the hands.

A half woven Tado.

Weaving a Tado can severely hurt the hand.

 

[Devil Soul]

Tados are used to dry out the dates.

Khairpur’s date palm business is hugely dependent on these women’s work who due to their controlled mobility cannot join the industry directly and are forced to work from home. Since there is lack of any formal industry to supply the date palm trade with these handicrafts, women’s informal work becomes increasingly important to keep this business running.

In many parts of the patriarchal and patrilineal South Asia, women suffer from payment inequality and the case in Khairpur is no different. The absence of proper market opportunities and lack of resources make it harder for women to sell their products and on top of it cultural restrictions make it almost impossible for them to get some good return of their labour.

The dates are spread out in the sun for at least a week to dry.

After they have been dried, the dates are put into gunny bags to be sold.

Ultimately, they have to rely on the middlemen, who frequently visit them to buy their products and sell them in other markets. Buying the handicrafts for a pittance, the middleman sells it for twice or thrice the rate and makes considerable profits.

One pindi (pot) for approximately 10 rupees but sells it for 25-30 rupees. The women in the villages of Khairpur are well aware of this exploitation but are helpless in this regard – if the middleman does not buy their product, they will end up earning no money at all.

Khairpur's golden harvest.

Khairpur's golden harvest.

After they have been dried, the dates are put into gunny bags to be sold.

Khairpur's golden harvest.

These women's produce contribute a great deal to their family’s savings who otherwise would have to spend on these items; so even the low wages means a lot. A large number of men in the villages do not have regular employment and rely on farming and temporary employment from the date palm business. The majority of women spend this money on their children’s clothing and healthcare while others share this money with their husbands in time of need.

“I earn from making pots, mats and containers. This money matters a lot for me and my family; my husband does not do any work, so my family survives on the money I earn,” says 18-year-old Asiya.

Quite sadly though, the hands that are always busy in making ends meet, ultimately stay invisible.

Due to cultural sensitivities, the photographer was not given permission to take pictures of all the women. All photos by author.

Nadia Agha is an academic and is currently pursuing her PhD in Women's Studies from the University of York, England.

She tweets @Aghanadia.

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

Pakistan becomes third largest exporter of dates


Pakistan becomes third largest exporter of dates
January 27, 2014/ 1 Comment


ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has become the third largest country in the world that is exporting dates to the rest of the world and with proper attention and appropriate interventions this sector can flourish manifold.
The date sector offers substantial opportunities for exports, income and employment generation in addition to economic growth of the country, said an official of Ministry of Commerce and Textile while talking to APP here.
The annual production of dates in Pakistan is estimated at around 535,000 tonnes of which only 86,000 tonnes are exported and the rest are either consumed locally or perish, he informed. Chief Executive Officer Harvest Trading Ahmad Jawad told that Pakistani dates exports could be raised to $200 million from the current $28 million with proper processing and packaging. Since 1999, per acre yield of dates in Pakistan has not increased much,whereas worldwide production increased by 166 per cent, he added. Highlighting the problems, the CEO said that the country lacked storage facilities and so exported some quantity of dates while the rest perish. Thus due to these problems the country had to import dates during the month of Ramadan.
Importers of dates such as Germany, Denmark, India, Nepal, USA, UK, Afghanistan and Canada are re-exporting Pakistani dates after quality enhancement and preparation of by-products, at a price that is four to six times higher than their import price,” said Jawad.
“Of the 300 varieties of dates produced in Pakistan, Begam Jangi of Balochistan, Aseel of Sindh and Dhakki of Dera Ismail Khan are the varieties which are sought after the world over due to their exotic taste,” said Jawad. He further said that dates could fetch many more millions of dollars if focus was given to value addition such as the use of dates in preparing date sweets, jams, chocolates and other products.
Even the damaged crop is used for medical purposes and date oil is fit for use in cosmetics. He maintained that the usage of dates increases during the winter season thus its price and demand surges.
Another report by the USAID revealed that lack of awareness about best farming practices, improper fruit handling techniques, and an absence of developed processing facilities are major constraints inhibiting profitable date production in Pakistan.
Farid, a date farm owner stated that usually the harvest season of dates starts in July in upper Sindh, during the monsoon season, they remain safe due to lack of rain in these areas during harvesting.

 

[ghazi52]

Lovely date palm gardens in Khairpur,

 

[PakistaniNawab]

Date's are a blessing from Allah (swt) full of nutrient's and can help with gaining weight.

 

[Well.wisher]

I cannot eat it , it's too sweet so I make juice of dates with milk .

 

[I S I]

I cannot eat it , it's too sweet so I make juice of dates with milk .

Instant weight gain formula.