Close sesame: Forty thieves of climate change steal another crop

HYDERABAD: Tooryo Kolhi, a farmer from Cheel Bund area, Umerkot district, hopes to harvest at least 7-8 maunds (40kg) per acre from his sesame crop, but is not sure as the impacts of climate change have disrupted the cultivation cycle of crops beyond repair.

“The perfect sesame cultivation season is June and July, but most farmers in Umerkot sowed it in August this year, because a late rainfall has disrupted the traditional crop calendar, especially in desert areas,” Kolhi said.

He was one of the few lucky farmers, who took a risk and cultivated sesame among other traditional crops like pearl millet and guar.

Some of them however are not happy as late sowing only results in low production four-five maund/acre.

Cheel Bund, the semi desert area, was the hub of displaced families, which poured in from different areas after rains and flood played havoc with the entire agriculture and population, causing destruction and displacement everywhere. The recent rains and flood have hit around 14 districts of the province, causing colossal loss to the agriculture economy.

Sesame is mostly grown on light sandier soil, especially rain-fed desert areas. But farmers in canal areas also cultivate this crop on their lands.

Some farmers have installed tube wells to continue cultivation of these traditional crops, like sesame.

It is very sensitive to excessive rainfall and water logging. It requires a high temperature of 35-40 C for vegetative and reproductive growth.

Farmers use two-three kg seed per acre, which some time gives a yield of around eight-ten maunds/ acre, which is said to be enough for producers. Living in tail-end areas of Noor wah (canal), the farmers usually receive little water through the canal irrigation system and most probably are unable to continue cultivating major crops. Similarly, this year they have received rainfall late, which has affected their routine cultivation mechanism.

Farmers in the desert area of Tharparkar district have also cultivated sesame on their pieces of land.

Heero Kolhi, a farmer of Village Weal in Tharparkar district has spared three acres of land for sesame with other crops, including pearl millet, guar, tomato, onion, melon, and watermelon. He has installed a solar-powered water facility to cultivate off-season crops. But this year rainfall helped him produce traditional crops on a larger part of his land.

According to Kolhi, Thar area farmers always cultivate sesame on smaller pieces of land for their own consumption as well as little extra for the market. The desert farmers believe that it is a drought-tolerant short-duration crop, which takes about 100-120 days to mature.

Tharparkar, Dadu, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Matiari and parts of other districts in Sindh produce sesame, the most important oilseed crop.

Reports gathered from farmers in Matiari district reveal that they have cultivated sesame timely in the month of June but the locust attacks ruined it.

Water scarcity has also disturbed farmers in some areas to cultivate this ancient crop, which otherwise has a high demand in the local and urban market.

Muhammad Rahim Lakho, who is among a few growers experiencing to revive traditional crops, said producers are facing problems in marketing their crops, because of the monopoly of traders.

Lakho claims to have cultivated sesame in mountainous areas of Thatta district, which may give him six-seven maund/acre, but is not sure selling it in the market will be a breeze.

Lakho believes that the government authorities do not have interest in promoting these traditional crops, which are vanishing due to many reasons, ranging from climate change to marketing issues.

Lakho demands the provincial government to give incentives, including subsidy on the installation of alternative irrigation water mechanism and provide authentic seeds to farmers so they may produce these important crops.

Traditional farmers have this old practice to keep the harvested crop in the field for one week for thrashing.

Researchers in agriculture fields believe that the curse of climate change has disrupted ancient crops, including sesame. Water scarcity, locust attacks, and rains and flood have ruined the ancient crop, they added.

Marketing is another problem traditional crops producers usually face. According to them, millers earn enough through value-addition to sesame seeds, manufacturing many food products. But farmers don’t get anything compared to it, despite struggling to revive these rejected crops.

Experts suggested the introduction of modern harvesting technology and measures to motivate producers to promote this crop and benefit the farmers. The farmers may have small units of this technology for harvesting, value-addition, packing and marketing, so the producers may get some incentive. This initiative may save these traditional ancient crops, which are diminishing from the environment for one or another reason.

River Indus catchment areas are also said to be the main producing fields for sesame, which have been washed away by the recent medium flood, leaving farmers distressed. Only a few riverine farmers have been able to save their sesame crops.

However, due to loss of this crop the prices of sesame seeds have gone high in the urban market of Sindh. Some women entrepreneurs in Matiari district told The News that they were receiving orders to supply sesame as routine but the product is either scarce or too expensive for clients to afford.

For example, they believe that earlier the sesame seeds were available in local markets at lower rates and retailers would easily offer the product to their traditional clients at Rs100/kg, but now the price is Rs270-300/kg.

And the reason for this is challenges, including water scarcity, locusts attack and heavy rainfall. Only a few lucky farmers could save their crop for the market; however, it was not enough to meet the demand of millers and manufacturers.