This blog addresses the Agricultural Setup and Hazards related to Agricultural Practices in Pakistan. To understand, we are reporting the responses of a survey-based study. Which includes farmers’ socio-economic, and demographic information and their responses.
By definition, Agriculture is the practice of growing, harvesting, and processing crops or livestock for food or non-food use for present or future generations. But the by-products of crop and livestock production can pollute the air, water, and soil.
Pakistan is blessed to have fertile soil that supports agriculture. It plays a crucial role in feeding the population. But these agricultural practices can also lead to environmental pollution and in turn, environmental pollution leads to the destruction of the agriculture sector thus destroying the economy of Pakistan.
To understand our country’s situation, we’re going to do a case study to realize the causes and impacts of agricultural pollution on the environment. And to give you a real-life example, we’ll be focusing on Karachi. We took a closer look at agricultural sites like Memon Goth, Haji Shidi Goth, and Bin Qasim Town. Plus, we had a chat with farmers at three different farm locations. We collected some really interesting info during our research, like the types of pesticides and fertilizers these farmers use, the water needs of crops based on the climate and season, and the different types of waste generated from farming activities.
Case Study:
Study Area:
We conducted our study in three different agricultural sites: Memon Goth, Haji Shidi Goth Bin Qasim Town, and Kari Kor Malik Bangla. These areas are located in and around Karachi, Pakistan. We chose this specific location because it offers a wide range of farming opportunities. Our main goal was to gather information and facts about agricultural land. Our study covered both agricultural lands within the city limits and those outside. Luckily, we successfully gathered all the necessary data.
Methodology:
Observation was based on a questionnaire and the following questions were asked to understand the demographics and processes of agriculture activities. ,
Result of Case Study:
Table 1: It shows the farmers’ responses to the investigative questions of agriculture practices and problems
| Questions | Responses | |
| 1 | Gender | Male |
| 2 | Age | L1 (site 1) – 50 years |
| L2 (site 2)- 40 years | ||
| L3 (site 3)- 41 years | ||
| 3 | Educational | Illiterate |
| 4 | Income | L1: 50k -60k according to season |
| L2: n/a | ||
| L3 : n/a | ||
| 5 | Kind of crops cultivated: | |
| i. Winter Crops | L1- Artificial and Organic Garlic, Green onion, Soya, Radish, Turnip, Brinjal, Celery, Spinach, Fenugreek, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Tomato, Wheat, Saag and Grass. Bitter gourd, Bottle gourd, Kakri, Cucumber, Beans, Spinach, Almonds and Grass. | |
| ii. Summer Crops | L2- All types of seasonal vegetables and fruits, custard apple being the specialty. | |
| L3- Mainly grass, and seasonal vegetables. | ||
| 6 | Insects Spotted | Butterflies, Red wrigglers, Grass Hoppers, bees |
| 7 | Fertilizer used: | |
| Natural or Synthetic | L1 – Natural fertilizer used | |
| L2 – Agro fertilizer and Animal dung | ||
| L3 – Natural and synthetic used | ||
| 8 | Kind of irrigating water | All the farmers had access to fresh water and well irrigated areas. |
| 9 | Utensils and Tools used | Plough, Rake, Sickle, Shovel, Cultivators, Axe, Mattock, Hedge trimmer, Trowel, Scare crow. |
| 10 | Weeds | They are taken out of the crop fields and used as a fodder for animals. |
| 11 | Climatic condition on crop growth | In Winter = Slow but best quality crop. |
| In summer = fast but medium quality crop. | ||
| 12 | Pesticide/Insecticide use | Farmers do use pesticide spray |
| In summer they use more quantity of spray than winter. This spray is expensive to buy. | ||
| 13 | Vehicles for field | Tractors, Cultivators, Harvesters. |
| 14 | Vehicles for public transportation | Trucks, Donkey carts, Trailers, Pickup vans. |
| 15 | Plastic pollution observed | Snack wrappers, plastic bottles, Tooth paste tubes, |
| 16 | Health effects of working on a field | Sun tanning, Skin allergies due to chemical sprays and can also cause inhalation of harmful fumes. So, they wear masks to protect themselves. |
| 17 | Use of Crop cover | Farmers do not use crop cover technique, because of less rainfall, and good sunlight. They do not need to hide from any harsh conditions. |
| 18 | Do floods destroy any crop fields? | Floods may cause a part of field to get damaged. Roots absorb excess water and gets fungus or contamination which may cause harm to the fields. |
| 19 | Where does the waste water go? | These lands hardly get enough water for cultivation, so no waste water is generated. |
| 20 | How do they reduce excess heavy metals and pollutants? | By driving tractor over and over again and sunbathing the fields for better nutrient mix and less pollutant contamination. |
| 21 | Crop Rotation technique | Yes |
| 22 | Legal or Illegal land? | Legal land |
| 23 | Land private or government | Private land |
| 24 | Animals used on farm | Sheep, Cows, Bulls, Goats were kept on a plot with grass land. |
| 25 | How much water does the land use annually? | No information |
| 26 | Does the family work with the farmer? | Yes |
| 27 | Field waste use | All the waste is recycled and reused. But on the other hand, the weeds and waste material which they do not use gets dumped near an empty land and gets incinerated, which produces GHGs. |
| 28 | What modern technology was observed? | Use of solar panel was an environmentally friendly approach. Followed by use of tractors.. |
| 29 | How much time does a crop take to harvest? | 40 days approx.. |
| 30 | Any Approach towards sustainable use? | Bio-ropes made of dry, long, and strong leaves were used for tying the crops and grass on L1 and L2. |
| 31 | Does the insects do any harm towards the crops? | Locusts may eat away a fair amount of crops and can also damage the roots of crops. |
| 32 | What kind of waste is produced? | Animal dung produces a good amount of methane when burnt, while solid waste is dumped on a nearby land. |
| 33 | What other Air pollution might be present? | Apart from solid waste burning, cooking food on the farm using wood or coal as a source of fire may result in a low amount of carbon monoxide production.. |
| 34 | Which family members were helping on the land? | All family members were working on the land, with females on one side and males on the other. Females also had little kids with them who were giving a helping hand towards their parents. |
| 35 | What was used to protect the crops from outside animals? | Guard dogs, scare crows, and sharp wood sticks were used to protect from intruders. |
Leave a Reply