Agriculture:
Human life is impossible without agriculture; industrially advanced areas depend on it indirectly while the rural settlement is directly benefited with this profession. So far as Swat concerns, about 99% of the population are cultivators. With the exception of a few, all the landowners have small tracks of land. These holdings are so small that the holders are not only landlords but they are peasants too.
The ever increasing demands for daily life compels the poor peasants to get more and more yields of the tiny tracts of soil. So they use various techniques and chemical fertilizers with the addition of cattle dung in large scale. The barren soils are made arable, the narrow farms where the plough cannot be used, are tilted by mattocks, the week soils are deprived of yearly rest, one cropped areas converted into two crop areas, and single crop farms changed into orchards.
In the hilly areas, huge walls have been constructed to make farms on the slopes. The advantage of these walls is to protect the fertility of the soil and hinder erosion. In spite of this hard work, the poor peasants can not get enough yields to suffice for their livelihood. Therefore some of the members of the family migrate to large cities for services to earn much money to meet their needs.
Though Swat is totally an agricultural zone, yet it's per acre out put is low. Some of The detrimental factors for the high yield are the following:
Fragmentation:
The individual holdings have been subdivided and a single owner has parts of his holdings in various places of the village. For example, a holder of an acre land has parts of that one-acre in different places, therefore, the farmers cannot serve them properly.
Irregular Irrigation:
The next item responsible for low production is irregular irrigation system. Vast areas in Swat solely depend upon rainfalls. The peasants sow the seeds in the hope of rain, but when, unfortunately, the rain misses time, the seeds are either rotten in soil or picked up by birds, ants, and other insects. If it rains, sometimes, the rainy streams become so overflowed that the surplus water gushes in the newly sown or newly grown fields and a layer of debris is deposited over them. So both the seeds and the newly germinated plants are spoiled out.
The Lake of Manure:
The cattle dung was used as fertilizer some years ago. Now the position has changed. Dung is no more used as manure but rather as fuel. It has also affected the production, the farmers try to get the best type of fertilizers but they are not given it easily by the government. Therefore, many of the weak farms are given seasonal or yearly rest to obtain the energy from the natural sources. Moreover, the prices of fertilizers are so high that the farmers are about to give up their use.
The Claims of Khans:
The poor and hard working peasants want to make the barren soil on the slopes of the hills clean and arable. But the Khans and other lords prevent them to do so because they claim that the hills and mountains of Swat are their belongings.
The final factor responsible for the low agricultural production is limited to the proper valley of Swat only. As the Swat river is not channelized so its unchecked flow causes to wash away vast cultivated areas every year and deprives the poor peasants from their land tracts.
The ex-Wali was to channelize the water of this river, but unfortunately his dream was not realised and Swat absorbed in Pakistan.
Crops Seasons:
There are two crops growing seasons:
1. Spring Harvest 2. Autumnal Harvest
Spring Harvest:
This harvest is called Rabee in other parts of Pakistan, but its name in Swat is "Har". It starts from September-October, and lasts till May and June. The chief crops of this season are wheat, barley, mustard, and lentil.
Wheat:
Wheat is the staple food all over the region. It is grown in the whole district. Only in a few mountainous areas where the temperature is sufficiently low and snowfall is greater, wheat cannot grow. Because the required heat to ripe the crop is not available.
Moreover, soil of Swat is composed of the rotten leaves of trees and shrubs with the mixture of other suitable organs, so this is very productive and favors the growth of wheat.
Distribution of Wheat:
Wheat is grown in the valley of Swat and Buner. In Kanra and Ghurband it is little, and in Kohistan, the cultivation of this crop is negligible.
The cultivation of wheat is common in Swat but due to the rough methods of cultivation, the per acre yield is very low.
Varieties:
In early days, there were two varieties of wheat, Shargha and Kundyan. Shargha was of thorny ears while Kundyan had no thorns. The stalks of Shargha were smaller than Kundyan. The breads of these were very delicious, and they also produced more husks for cattle, but the yield was little.
As the output of the above mentioned varieties was low, these were replaced by "Maxipak". This variety was good for output but, generally, the farmers suffered from shortage of husks, therefore, the peasants were not satisfied with this variety.
Presently, agriculture department has introduced many new varieties for example Pirsabak-90-85, Inqilab, Pasban, etc.
Barley:
Barley was a staple food grain in Swat some 30 years ago among the poor peasants. The ladies were so expert in backing the breads of barley that it was preferred to wheat. But the procedure was very difficult. Secondly, barley was also cleaned from chaff and was cooked as rice in cooking pot. It was called Batey. At morning Batey was mixed with buttermilk and was used for breakfast. This mixture was called Ogra (Ogra is also made of rice).
Oil Seed:
Among the oilseeds mustard is a common one. It has a couple of advantages: firstly, it produces the seeds for oil, secondly it makes the soil fertile. The farmers sow it to prepare the fields to grow more wheat for the next year. The mustard is sown in the rainy soil. it is sown, particularly, in Nekpikheil, Shamozee and Shamizee. In the early spring, in the end of February, the green surface marked with golden strips excites the hearts, and presents the loveliest scene ever present on the earth for the lover of nature. The yield is low. The farmers sow this crop for their personal use.
Other crops of this season are lentils and peas. They are produced for the personal use of the farmers.
Autumnal Harvest:
This harvest is known as "Kharif Crops", but in Swat, it is known as "Manay". The crops of this season are sown in June-July, and harvested in September-October. The chief crops of this season are maize, rice and jute.
Maize:
Maize is a staple food in the Swat and is grown wherever the agricultural activities are carried on. Because the favorable climatic and soil condition are available. The maize is grown in higher places also, where wheat cannot thrive best. The distribution of its growth depends upon the variety of the corn and supply of water. Some of the varieties require much water while other do not.
The old varieties of maize were:
1. Lapsatee. 2. Ghundyan. 3. Woorakyan.
Rice:
Rice is another food crop of autumnal harvest. The required geographical environment is available in Swat. The abundant supply of water, temperature, and soil condition are favorable for the growth of paddy.
Varieties:
About 15 years ago there were three varieties: Shooga, Garra, and Lawangai. They were very delicious in taste, (especially, Lawangai had a very fantastic smell also, and the grains were very thin). The grains of Shooga and Garra were fat, and there were some reddish and greenish grains too. These kinds of rice changed because they could subjected to diseases easily. The alternates of these are Begamai, Sela, and Shpetamai. Now, Begamai has got a good position among the rice varieties.
Distribution:
Rice is grown in the valleys of Swat River, and its tributaries. In Buner, the Valley of Barandu grows rice. It is also grown in Makhuzee, Puran, in some parts of Ghurband, but the production is satisfactory only in the proper valley of Swat River. The other areas produce rice on such a low scale that it cannot satisfy the local need.
The other productions of this harvest are roping-hemp and beans.
Pulses and Vegetables:
Generally a rural population tries to produce the items of daily use themselves. Similarly, the peasants of Swat grow various kinds of pulses, and vegetables. Some of them are tomato, potato, turnip, pumpkin, okra, radish, carrot, chili, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, onion and mint etc. A variety of vegetables produced in hilly areas is known as Samchal, Shella and Kwanjay. Among the pulses lentils and peas are common.
Cash Crops:
The surplus amount of the food grains come first in this respect. However, the particular crops are tobacco, hemp, and sunflower.
Tomatoes and potatoes are essential element in the commercial field of Swat: Both of the items were growing for the personal use of the farmers about ten years ago. In 1963, there were a few small tracts, which were tilted for potatoes in Utror, Kohistan-e-Swat. Now, whole of Kohistan-e-Swat (from Bahrain to Gulabad, and Ushu,) beyond the glacier of Matiltan, produces heavy output of potatoes. The Government preserves them for seed purposes. The quality of the potatoes is the best, the yield is very high, and the size is very large.
Like potatoes, tomatoes have also made progress in a few years. It is grown in the valleys of Swat River and its tributaries. Vast areas have been made up for the gardens of tomatoes. This crop thrives best in the valleys, and produces an ideal yield. However when the summer rains are in excess, the plants and flowers are damaged, and the yield decreases considerably. Both, potatoes and tomatoes, are sold directly in the markets of Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Lahore. Cultivation of potatoes on large scale is limited to Kohistan-e-Swat, while tomatoes are grown in the proper valley of Swat. In Buner, Chagharzee, and in Shangla Par, both crops are produced but little.
Onions:
The onion is planted in Swat Valley (from Landakay to Madyan). The production not only suffices the local needs, but is transported to other parts of the country also.
Pumpkin:
This vegetable is produced on larger scale in Shangla Par and in the hilly areas of Swat, and is transported to other parts.
Sugar Cane:
The geographical conditions are available for sugarcane, and it thrived successfully in Swat. Some years ago, large tracts had been brought under the cultivation of this crop, but the preparation of Gur (dried molasses), was not profitable. Therefore, the farmers gave up its cultivation. However, in Shamozee (lower Swat), and in Gadezee (Upper Buner), sugarcane is grown, gins have been installed for crushing it in these areas, and Gur is prepared. The Gur of Shamozee is very famous, and is sold like hot cakes. In Buner, it is prepared only for the personal use of the farmers, but in Shamozee, it is produced on commercial bases.
Tobacco:
Tobacco is planted in lower Buner and in some location of Western Chagharzee for Naswar (, a mixture of tobacco powder and ash or lime) only, and its cultivation on commercial scale is rare.
Melons and Water Melons:
Melons are also cultivated in Swat, but they are not very delicious. The watermelons are good here, but its gardening is rare.
Sugar Beet:
This commodity came very fresh to the group of cash crops in Swat. This is experienced in Shamizee. The expectation for the increase of this crop is greater.
Horticulture:
Regarding fruits, Swat is a lucky district. It grows various kinds of fruits. Generally, citrus fruits are grown here. Some years ago, when the artificial methods of fruit plantation were unfamiliar, the naturally grown fruits were abundant. But the trees of the fruits were scattered and were not in gregarious position. Since the inhabitants of the district took interest in this aspect of agriculture, vast tracts of soil were brought under the plantation of fruit trees. The farmers got skilled in horticulture, and they knew how to graft various trees. So, slowly and gradually, orchards appeared in the field of agriculture.
Many of the wild fruit trees advanced artificially, and became more productive. Yet some of them: Walnut, Jujube, Fig, etc. are totally neglected. In Chagharzee, Puran, and Makhuzee, a variety of figs, known as "Wormal" (a fruit equal in size of an apple), is grown. This fruit is unfamiliar in the markets of Swat.
The horticulture started first in Matta Sub-division (Upper Swat) on commercial scale, therefore, this zone is very advanced now. The main item of the orchards is apple, though other fruits like damson, grapes, pears, loquat, apricots, and prune etc. are also planted, but they are on small scales. These orchards earn more money for the owners.
Some of the famous orchards in Upper Swat are at Kooz Sherpalam, Bar Sherpalam, Matta, Jora, Shanguatai, Arkot, Biakan, and Ronyal. There are large and vast gardens in Jankikhel. The eastern bank of Swat River is also covered with gardens.
Moreover, there are many tracts, which are not counted as orchards, because they are smaller in size and area. Most of the gardens are freshly planted.
Seeing this high income, many farmers changed their cropped areas into orchards, and now there is a strong competition of this profession, so strong that the yield of food crops decreased to formidable extent.
In Babozee Sub-division, the orchards are different to those of Matta. The orchards are multi fruit gardens here. Orange, loquat, pear, damson, peach, apricot etc. have been planted here, but the chief item of these orchards is orange. The largest fruit gardens are in Barikot.
In Shangla Par, the walnut, mulberry, pears, and grapes grow well, but due to the unsuitable transport system, attention has not been given to horticulture.
Buner does not take much interest in horticulture, because supply of water is not permanent here to meet the needs of gardens. The horticulture is increasing with the introduction of tube-wells.
In Kohistan-e-Swat, Utror is the chief producer of apples.
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