Shaukat Korai

Arifa Saleh, a 24-year-old entrepreneur from Turbat, an underdeveloped region of Balochistan, gained recognition in the food industry by selling her distinctive halwa at a three-day international date show recently held in Karachi. The product, made from date paste, is locally referred to as “Balochi Mother.” Dates from Balochistan have a unique flavour compared to those from the rest of Pakistan, making Arifa’s halwa stand out in the market.

During the festival, Arifa established business contacts with potential buyers. She sold around 40kg of halwa and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a prominent date trader from Dera Ghazi Khan, aiming to expand her market reach. “My halwa offers a flavour profile that sets it apart from traditional varieties, attracting attention from both local and international attendees at the event,” she said while speaking to Wealth Pakistan.

She shared that her business is growing in the region, but faces several challenges, including unreliable internet, power shortages, and a lack of technology. “We encounter difficulties in conducting online business due to internet failures.” Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, organised the festival to promote date products and showcase relevant technologies, aiming to boost the cultivation and market of dates.

According to organisers, farmers and traders from Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab set up stalls featuring various date products.  Delegations from Morocco, the UAE, Jordan, Mauritania, Egypt and other countries also participated in the show, showcasing their technologies and engaging in dialogues with Pakistani traders. The Food and Agriculture Organisation supports the improvement of date production and other crops in Balochistan.

With cooperation from the FAO, 16 stalls were opened at the festival, with all expenses covered by the organisation, said Dr Rizwan. Growers in Balochistan face many challenges, and the FAO provides them with training and technology to address these issues and enhance their production. The FAO supplies tipping machines to growers, which help improve product quality and save time.

Growers from Balochistan are particularly interested in pollinator technology, which was showcased at the event. We brought both parties together to explore the benefits of using pollinators, as manual pollination is time-consuming, and this technology makes the process much easier.

The European Union is very interested in improving livelihoods and expanding outreach to target markets of these growers and traders in Balochistan,” said Dr Rizwan Hayat Khan, FAO Agriculture Production Specialist. Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, he said during the event, 15 varieties of dates from Thar were also displayed. “Following Khairpur Mirs, the Thar Desert is emerging as another date production hub in Sindh.”

Credit: INP-WealthPk