KHUSHAB:
Once famous for land that yielded bountiful crops, Soon Valley, located in Tehsil Naushera of Khushab district, is now facing a growing crisis as wild boars are increasingly destroying farmland and pushing local farmers towards financial ruin.
Residents say a government-imposed ban on wild boar hunting, enforced under wildlife protection laws, has severely affected agriculture and livelihoods in the area.
Soon Valley farmers say the uncontrolled wild boar population has become their most pressing challenge.
The valley is a major producer of potatoes, wheat and various vegetables.
For local farmers, planting a crop is not just an agricultural activity, but an investment of their life savings along with hopes attached to children’s education and family responsibilities.
According to the growers, the cultivation of a single hectare of potatoes now costs more than Rs.200,000, including the cost of seeds, fertilizers, electricity and labour. But as crops approach maturity, herds of wild boar often attack fields under the cover of darkness.
Farmers say the animals cause more damage than consumption, uprooting plants with their powerful snouts and destroying entire fields within hours.
Speaking to Express, political and social figure Mian Salahuddin said that the current policy has created a crisis on the ground.
“The ban on wild boar hunting in the name of animal protection has effectively tied the hands of farmers,” he said.
“If a farmer kills a boar to protect his crop, he risks heavy fines and in some cases jail time.”
He argued that the law does not reflect the reality in Soon Valley.
“Wild boars are not an endangered species here. Their population has increased rapidly and is now out of control. When controlled hunting was allowed, their numbers remained in balance and they stayed away from farms and settlements.
Now they are fearless because they know no one can stop them,” he added.
The farmers say the losses they face are not only financial but also psychological.
Many rely on bank loans or money borrowed from commission agents to finance cultivation. When crops are destroyed, repayment becomes impossible and farmers are trapped in debt. As a result, a significant number of growers have stopped farming altogether.
Thousands of hectares of fertile land now lie uncultivated, and farmers say it is better to leave the land barren than to invest only to see crops destroyed.
The issue has also raised public safety concerns. Residents report that wild boar are no longer confined to fields and hillsides, but often enter roads and residential areas at night.
Several traffic accidents involving motorcyclists resulting in injuries and deaths have been reported.
Environmentalists in the area also warn that boars destroy the mountain vegetation and destroy the eggs of ground-nesting birds, upsetting the valley’s natural ecological balance.
Farmers of Soon Valley have jointly appealed to the provincial government, Chief Minister Punjab and the Wildlife Department to address the issue as soon as possible.
Their primary demand is an immediate lifting of the ban on wild boar hunting.
Alternatively, they suggest issuing hunting licenses or launching a government-led population control campaign. Farmers also argue that if the government insists on protecting the animals, it should fully compensate farmers for crop losses per hectare.
“You cannot claim to support agriculture on the one hand and allow farmers’ livelihoods to be destroyed on the other,” said a local farmer.
“If immediate action is not taken, agriculture in the Soon Valley will collapse, directly affecting the food supply and the national economy.”
Residents are urging politicians to visit the valley and see the situation first hand.
“Laws are meant to serve people, not destroy their livelihoods,” said a farmer. “Our plea is simple: let us live and let us protect our means of making money.”
