SUCCESS STORIES FROM ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

EARTH SUMMIT+5
Special Session of the General Assembly to Review and Appraise
the Implementation of Agenda 21
New York, 23-27 June 1997

SUCCESS STORIES FROM ASIA AND THE PACIFIC


Sustainable Agriculture: an example at Panhwar Fruit Farm

Location Panhwar Fruit Farm, Pakistan.
Responsible organization(s) Sindh Rural Women's Uplift Group.
Description The Sindh Rural Women's Uplift Group owns 108 acres (43 hectares) of fruit orchard in which they use "organic and sustainable cultural practices" to fight against the use of synthetic pesticide and insecticide. The Group believes in maintaining soil and plant health to reduce disease attacks.
Issues addressed Community participation; sustainable agriculture.
Objectives Create greater awareness about, and promote the concept of sustainable agriculture.
Results achieved Provided wind-breaks, restored the balanced pruning for admission of sun-light, mowed weeds and dumped them under trees as mulch for weed control, supplied micro and macro-nutrients and retaining moisture, applied micro-nutrients as foliar sprays. They also evolved their own system of irrigation by planting trees on ridges and applied water in the furrows between the two ridges and limited water application to optimum needs, created biological activity under the mulch put under the trees for soil's health. Reduced water application to 40% as against flood irrigation used 15 years ago. Obtained yields three-times those of their neighbours or others Pakistan and increased the income many folds.
Lessons learned Extend the use of these techniques to reduce soil, air and water pollution from use of chemicals, which also have direct effect on the health of the living biotic life on land and water.
Contact Mrs. Farzana Panhwar, Sindh Rural Women's Uplift Group
157-C, Unit 2, Latifabad, Hyderabad, (Sindh) Pakistan
Tel. +(92221) 867107/5830816;
Fax +(92221) 860410/5830826