The horticultural sector is not highly developed, because of lack of irrigation facilities and perennial water-springs. However, according the Agricultural Statistics 1994/95, the area under irrigation surpasses the rain-fed area. The existing horticulture is limited to a specific area. Crops grown in this area are tomatoes, fodder, rape-seed, wheat and citrus.

The land of Bolan district is alluvial/Kacca (65 to 70%) and stony (30 to 35%). The land is fertile but does not have large water resources and is divided into levelled, non-levelled, irrigated and non-irrigated land.

The land tenure system in Bolan district is predominantly according to the Sardari system and Chief system. Officially, the number of big landowners is small, but in practice there are many. Since the land reforms introduced during the period of Ayub Khan and Z.A.Bhutto, irrigated and non-irrigated land in excess was allocated to tenants, but they only own the land in name. However, there is a large number of middle class landowners too.

The land tenure system is tough for the tenants because of the high dependency on rain water. Large parts of the land holdings are lying idle because of a water shortage, which is a major constraint for crop production.

The social situation of tenants is miserable with little education and health facilities for them and their dependants. Tenants are dependent on the landowners for financial and political support.

Wheat and fodder are the main subsistence crops, while tomatoes, rape seed, melon and citrus are major cash crops.

Source: Agricultural Statistics 1994/95

Because of the lack of water for irrigation, the area depends on a single cropping pattern. However, in the areas where adequate water is available for irrigation, the mixed cropping pattern is applied.

In comparison to the other districts within Nassirabad division the average yields per hectare are relatively low. In absolute figures Bolan district produces relatively more vegetables, tomatoes and melons than the other districts.

In Bolan district, men are the visible workers. In majority they are hired to cultivate the land of the land owner on fixed terms. Female participation in agriculture is indirect and limited to extending a helping hand. Wheat for example is cultivated by men, but at the time of harvesting the whole family helps on the field. Women also participate in the cleaning of food grains. The above applies to all other crops too.

According to the Agricultural Statistics 1994/95 about 50 percent of the cultivated area is current fallow.

Only 26,200 hectares are under, mainly canal, irrigation. Out of these only about 3,500 hectares are irrigated through tube wells, wells or karezes.

As classified by the Irrigation Department, 25 percent of the area is rain fed or dependent on rain water for cultivation. Seventy percent of the area depends on flood irrigation. The perennial water supply also depends largely on rain. In case of no rain, both sources shrink. This threatens the major source of livelihood in the district. The two major perennial canals are Dhadar canal and Inami canal. They both have an average capacity of 78 cusecs (cubic feet per second).

The sources of water for irrigation are not properly utilised. The number of tube-wells in the district is limited. The Nari river holds potential for the irrigation of a major area of the district, but irrigation from this river is not systematized. According to the Irrigation Department, the river holds capacity for 150,000 cusecs, Irrigation from the Nari river could, if systematized, give an economic and agricultural boost to the people of Bolan.

Source: Agricultural Statistics 1994 -1995

Better water resource arrangements can promote the sector. In the villages of Noshero and Kot Mengal, where sugarcane is produced, it was unanimously decided to explore underground water sources and construct dams and a flood water storage. The construction of delay dams will be very important for flood water management. Another important issue in the development of agricultural production in Bolan concerns the levelling of land. This would require bulldozing arrangements.

There is a shift from traditional cultivation to modern agricultural mechanisation. Tractors are used in cultivation and sowing. Wheat threshing is done by tractor-run thresher. The total number of tractors owned by landowners in the district is 125. In addition about 20 government owned tractors are mentioned in the Agricultural Statistics 1994/95 as well. Machines are also used to spray cotton and horticultural products. The use of tube-wells is growing: in 1994-95 there were 158 tube wells, 71 percent of which run on diesel and 29 percent on electric motors.

The major agriculture inputs are seeds, fertilisers and mechanical devices. Seeds and fertilisers are usually supplied by middle men and stockists. Supply through government channels is rare. In Bolan district the use of fertilisers is little compared to other parts of the country: in 1995 the total use in Bolan was 6 tons a year, compared to e.g. 57 tons in Nasirabad.

The major inputs for horticulture are root stock (plants), fertilisers and smudge. Smudge or smoky fires are lit during night time in the months of December and January to save the young plants from dew. In horticulture the use of seeds as input is negligible. The use of root stock is also required for the cultivation of bamboo.

Marketing is in the hands of private enterprise. Jacobabad is the biggest grain market for the area. The Agricultural Marketing Regulation Act 1991 is in function since June 1996. The act is supposed to reduce the middle men's role in marketing and to fix the commodity prices, but the system is not fully operational yet. The middle men still have considerable influence, as the producers, who only have little commercial and marketing knowledge, find it more convenient to sell their crops to middle men, than to take the marketing of their products into their own hands.

Price control is in the hands of commission agents (Dalal). These are professionals in the art of settling prices between growers and buyers. In Bolan there is not any market committee as is the case in Dera Murad Jamali or other cities. Because of their poor financial situation in the last few months before harvesting, the crop producers take loans from the commission agents or from those who work for the leading grain buyers. The terms fix the payment they receive soon after the corps are harvested.

The level of income from agriculture is far below the average in Balochistan. The level of income can be raised with the development of the agricultural sector. Reliable statistical data on the level of income is not available, but comparative calculations are given in Annex 6.

There are two Extra-Assistant Directors for Agriculture at district level. One of them is in charge of extension work. Because of the lack of irrigation water for agricultural and horticultural purposes, the extension wing in Bolan is not very active.

Legend: - no involvement

x minor involvement

xx substantial involvement

xxx major involvement

Actual agricultural production is clear, but how that relates to its potential is unknown. Agricultural income per capita is low and mainly depending on the production of tomatoes and melons.

The agriculture and horticulture sectors are underdeveloped because of lack of irrigation water. Better water resource arrangements can promote the sector. In the villages of Noshero and Kot Mengal, where sugarcane is produced, it was unanimously decided to explore underground water sources and construct dams and a flood water storage. The construction of delay dams will be very important for flood water management. Another important issue in the development of agricultural production in Bolan concerns the levelling of land. This would require bulldozing arrangements.

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