A jamun drought in Punjab

“The jamuns of our area are very popular because they are of very high quality. These fruits are sent to New Delhi and other major cities. Farmers fetch a good price for this fruit because its kernel is very good for treatment of diabetes. However,the yield has been very bad this time,” says Kashmir Singh,a farmer from Dhudi village in Faridkot district.

While the jamun orchards of Faridkot are a property of the district administration and the Department of Horticulture,these are auctioned every year to farmers who maintain the trees and make their earnings by selling the produce.

“Usually,this district alone used to yield close to 900 quintals of jamun. However,we have managed just a 100 quintals this year,suffering almost a 75 per cent loss,” adds Mohan Singh,another farmer. Bad weather apart,he has a grudge that Punjab Agricultural University,Ludhiana,has done little to develop and promote this crop that holds huge potential.

Horticulture Director Dr Lajvinder Singh Brar,however,says: “PAU has initiated research projects on this fruit. They have collected jamun germplasm from various parts of the country and are now trying to develop varieties that are best suited for our kind of weather,soil and other agronomic conditions.”

He claims that the weather has been “cruel” to all fruits this year. “Why talk of jamun alone? All our fruits have been severely hit due to inclement weather. During the first part of the year,we faced severe cold conditions,followed by very hot summer and now there are no rains. The flowering of fruit trees has been badly hit. There is a fall of at least 25-30 per cent in case of citrus crops — the mainstay in this part of the state. We have huge orchards of citrus fruits in Abohar and Ferozepur districts. Kinnow of this area is very popular. The weather has been very cruel to us this year,” adds Brar.