About 18,000 quintals of figs are produced annually on the mainland of Pakistan while there is a demand of about 28,000 quintals of figs here annually. So to meet this demand we buy about 10,000 quintals of dried figs annually from Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.
This is the reason why figs are so expensive in Pakistan that the common man cannot even think of eating them. To plant figs in rows at a distance of 10/10 feet and in these rows 10 /. Plants are planted at a distance of 10 feet, so about 435 plants can be planted in an acre.
Once planted, a fig plant gives full yield for 15 to 20 years. A fig plant is available in a nursery for about Rs. 50. Thus, the cost of planting can be around Rs. 22,000 per acre.
A plant yields at least 6 kg. This in way about 2600 kg or 65 quintals of fresh figs can be obtained from one acre. If the figs are dried then about 1430 kg can be obtained from clean dried figs. When it comes to the price of figs, dried figs are sold at retail at Rs. 800 to Rs. 1200 per kg.
But according to a recent market survey, the wholesale price of figs is Rs 500 per kg. If a farmer’s fig is sold at a minimum of Rs. 400 per kg, then the income of 1430 kg of dried fig is Rs. 570,000 per acre and if the fig is sold fresh without drying, its rate is at least Rs. It costs less than Rs. 100 per kg. According to this calculation, 2600 kg of fresh figs will be sold at Rs. 260,000. If we look, in terms of income, figs are in no way behind other crops or orchards.
If more and more people start cultivating figs, not only will they make a profit themselves, but Pakistan will not have to buy figs from other countries and this best fruit will reach every common man. Figs are the only fruit. The fig, which is called the fruit of heaven on earth, is the guarantor of healing and health.
