Nature, Sight & Sounds

Agriculture

Historically agriculture has been a way of life for the people of this remote and isolated region. Due to isolation people were self reliance to fulfill consumption needs from local production. However, the local production was not enough to provide enough calories to the population.

Agriculture is one of the most important means of livelihood and occupation for the people of the region. Nearly every household is engaged in agriculture while some being totally dependent on, while some supplement their household income with non-farming sources. Construction of KKH opened the region to the plains of Pakistan. Different development agencies especially AKRSP started to develop agriculture sector through an integrated development approach.  AKRSP has made an extraordinary contribution in agricultural development through the development of barren lands, construction of irrigation channels, introduction of cash crops, hybrid seeds, the provision of micro-credit, subsidised agricultural inputs and marketing channels. These all finally led to commercialisation of agriculture sector in the region.

Special Aspect of Agriculture in Altit 

Agriculture is still one of the important means of livelihood and occupation of the people. Gojal has a fertile terraced land while soil and temperature are suitable for agricultural practices. However, due to high altitude and isolation from KKH agriculture in many valleys like Chipurson, Shimshal, and Misgar are not profitable. However, with the modernization majority of the people supplement agriculture with non-farm sources.

1.  Ownership

Nearly every household is engaged in agriculture. Gojal is the home of small farmers distinguishing them from rural areas of Pakistan in peasantry. Almost all the farmers are owner cultivators. Overwhelming majority of households comprise small land possessing. The average cultivable land per household differs from village to village with availability of barren areas and source of irrigation water.

Single cropping

Due to short cropping season and high altitude only one crop is possible to fully mature. However, some fodder crops can be cultivated after any major crop in lower valleys. Due to high altitude agriculture in Chipurson and Misgar is very difficult.

Irrigation water

The cultivated lands and orchards are irrigated from the melted glacier waters. There is no scaricity of water in the valley.

Agricultural Methods

Although with modernization the older agricultural techniques were replaced with new one.  However, due to difficult terraced and small fields and lack of link roads the older ploughing method with bullocks is still in practice in some areas.

Main Crops Grown

During olden time Baqla was the main crop grown throughout the valley. The flour of this bean was used to prepare breads. The introduction of wheat and later potato as cash crop replaces it and only some families grow this crop.

1.         Wheat

Wheat has remained the staple crop  for long time, but now-a-days potato has largely replaced it.

2.         Barley

Barley is also cultivated in this area. During old time the flour of this crop has been used to prepare food.  Now a day it is used as a fodder crop.

3.         Fodder Crops

Different fodder crops i.e. barseem, shafthal and alfalfa are also grown to meet the need of livestock.

Horticulture

This is also an important source of income and includes fruit growing and vegetable production. The environmental factors like soil, climate and water are favorable to grow variety of fruits and vegetables.

Almost every household has small or large orchards.  Previously the farmers were not giving much attention to scientific aspects of planting trees. AKRSP introduced new and hybrid fruit varieties in the region. Moreover, considerable new area has been brought under orchards every year. The farmers are now giving preference to horticulture as compared to crops. Most important fruits grown in this area are apple, apricot, cherry, pear, mulberry, and peaches. In upper valleys like Chipurson and Misgar the growth rate of plants are very low.

Vegetables

Due to favorable weather and fertile land a large variety of vegetables mostly for self consumption are grown in kitchen gardens. These vegetables except potato are consumed locally due to inaccessibility to large market areas of down country. Potato is the only cash crop. Tones of potato are exported to down country markets. Some vegetables are dried for winter season.

Important vegetables are potato, tomato, turnip, peas, cabbage, carrot, radish, onion, gourd and spinach.

Potato

Potato is the most important and single cash crop of the entire Hunza valley. The Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) introduced this crop and initially provided farming outputs in order to encourage the cultivation of potato in Hunza. Due to this each household has devoted most of their land for potato cultivation. The average production of potato is 1450 kg/kanal. The production also depends on the quality of seeds. The potato of upper valleys are very famous as seed. According to the survey the average price during 2006 was Rs. 1050/bag (100-120kg).

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