Daily Times

Balochistan is considered the ‘energy-basket’ of Pakistan for possessing precious mineral resources and agricultural productions worth 44 percent of the total output of the country.

The correct utilisation of Balochistan’s natural resources and agricultural products will balance the country’s economy by bringing progress in the state.

Balochistan is well-known for the production of dates owing to its fabulous date farms in which several kinds of date trees are present that produce delicious dates which are in great demand in the markets. The date-trees are the sources due to which thousands of Balochs are able to feed their families to survive well. However, Balochistan is very rich in the field of growing date-farms (Machath) which produce delicious dates with major demands in different cities and countries.

Makran is quite popular for the production of different kinds of dates which are liked by a majority of the people. The date farms contain several kinds of date trees which produce different dates rich in taste. These dates, which are considered the most famous fruits of Balochistan, have different names, some of them which are pashnah, mozati, shakari, begum jangi, shakarok, aleeni, koroch, rogini naa, aap-o-dandan, kaleed, postho, dandari, dastari, naren rogini, hussaini, chapsuk, sangiskanz and several more which are in demand everywhere at exorbitant rates. Moreover, the Balochs make various kinds of sweets from those dates with different tastes like, Haarag, Sheerag, Chaangal, muther, and etc. The Dates season comes once in a year in summer with tasty fruits for us. As in dates season, the people from cities and villages visit in date-farms for collecting dates and keep them for survival in the entire year. This is the season when the nomadic tribes migrate to farms for collection of dates for their survival.

Makran is quite popular for the production of different kinds of dates which are liked by a majority of the people. The date farms contain several kinds of date trees which produce different dates rich in taste. These dates, which are considered the most famous fruits of Balochistan, have different names, some of them which are pashnah, mozati, shakari, begum jangi, shakarok, aleeni, koroch, rogini naa, aap-o-dandan, kaleed, postho, dandari, dastari, naren rogini, hussaini, chapsuk, sangiskanz and several more which are in demand everywhere at exorbitant rates

The date ‘Pashnah’ becomes eatable at first among other dates and finishes at first. When Pashnah (Date-tree) becomes ‘Rang’ the Balochs make its ‘Sorapag’ means making advanced Dates before existance of dates from date-trees). The season of Dates is called ‘Hahmain’ which brings delicious fruits (Dates) for the Balochs. However, the Summer invites the season of Hamain (Dates) and Mangoes in farms where a major population of people_living nearby villeges, visit the farms for assisting the farmers who need help for management of Dates. The people who help the farmers get Dates from the farmers. Balochs always use their own cultural-related materials during Dates season (Hahmain) like; Tohoor_used for climbing up the tallest trees, Kapath and Sapath for putting the Dates in, Sond, used for putting the Dates’ branches (Hosh) in it for protection, Gorpath, kept in a ‘Saganz’ (Wall) for putting the collected Dates on for drying them, ‘Tokari’ which is known as a container in which Dates are put for sending them different places. ‘Path’ used for keeping the Dates save for years and several more which are known the inventions of the creative Balochs. ‘Haarag’ is known as dry Date which is very tasty and famous in entire country. Naaho madar is known the most famous Dates which is eaten when the Dates season gets finished.

Thus, these dates are well-known in the entire world for their natural taste and are sources of great energy and protein in people’s health which protect one from many diseases. These dates increase the amount of white blood cells in the body, make us strong and elongate our life span.

The writer is a teacher at DELTA and can be reached at shakeelphullan137@gmail.com