A farmer plows his field with bullocks in Perowal as rising fuel prices and rising farming costs force small farmers to return to traditional farming methods. Photo: Express
PEROWAL:
Rising inflation, skyrocketing costs of agricultural inputs and the global energy crisis have forced smallholder farmers in the Perowal area to abandon modern mechanized farming and return to traditional methods, using bullocks instead of tractors.
In what many describe as a symbolic step back in agricultural progress, fields that once echoed with the sound of tractors now see wooden plows pulled by oxen.
Farmers say the shift reflects growing economic pressures that have made modern cultivation increasingly unaffordable.
The agriculture sector, long considered the backbone of the rural economy, is currently facing severe strain due to rising diesel and petrol prices, expensive fertilizers and rising operating costs.
Farmers can now be seen plowing fields under the scorching sun, their shoulders hunched, their bodies drenched in sweat and their feet sinking into the ground as they return to labour-intensive traditional farming methods.
Farmer Mazhar Siyal said that while the land and fields remain unchanged, rising expenses and limited resources have left them with no option but to return to older methods.
“The land is the same, the fields are the same, but our resources are shrinking and costs are rising. Therefore, we are forced to go back to traditional farming,” he said.
Another farmer, Mian Afzal, said the rising cost of fuel had left them with no choice. “High petrol and diesel prices have forced us to revert to old methods. It takes more time and effort, but at least it reduces the financial pressure. With the current costs, even running household expenses has become difficult,” he said.
Agricultural experts warn that if energy prices and input costs are not controlled, it could have a serious impact on farmers’ incomes, crop yields and national food security. District Chairman of Numberdar Association, Shafiq Ahmad, urged the government to introduce a “Kisan Khushhaal Scheme” with subsidy on fertilisers, pesticides and farm machinery.
“If this situation continues, farmers may no longer be able to grow crops.
The government must take quick steps to save the agriculture sector from collapse,” he warned.
Farmer Muhammad Faiz said the return to beef farming was more than just an agricultural change – it reflected economic hardship.
“We are re-treading a path we had long left behind and believed to be a thing of the past,” he said.
