Pineapple – a best source to fight heatstroke
PESHAWAR (APP): Defeating an unemployment with a share willpower, Zakir Ali (45), a poor fruit-sellor despite sizzling temperature in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa loads his handcart with mangoes and pineapples every morning at Chamkani fruit market here where he earns upto Rs.5,000 per day.
As the sun rays bath his stones made house at village Dheri Ishaq in Nowshera district, the motivated fruits seller starts his motorcycle and arrives Chamkani fruits market located near Peshawar Motorway where he loads his handcart after purchasing mangoes, banana and pineapples through an open auction.
“After the death of my father, I left my education incomplete in 1998 and adopted fruits selling as profession. With the grace of Allah Almighty, today my children are reading in top private schools, constructed own house and performed an umra with my wife,” he said.
He said the demands of pineapple was increased in local markets keeping in view of its unique quality of hydrating people for a longer hours during hot weather conditions.
“Pineapple is very useful summer fruit as it carries about 86 percent water and can help prevent people from heatstroke and dehydration if used in natural forms,” said Professor Dr Aurangzeb Khan Wazir, head of medical department, government hospital Pabbi, Nowshera.
Packed with vitamins B and C, he said the fruit carries magnesium, potassium, manganese and an anti-inflammatory enzyme which was also useful for people with kidney problems.
Dr Fazal Bhari, Director General, Agriculture Research KP said that pineapple plant is valued universally for its edible fruit with very sweet taste and aromatic odour and advised people to make it part of their diet due to high water contents.
“The plant thrives in tropical and sub-tropical climate mostly between March-August, but it can adapt itself to even moderate climates such as in the interior Sindh and southern districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Punjab provinces,” he said, adding pineapple is grown in a variety of soils that are fertile, have free drainage, and ample supply of water at fruiting stage.
He said that stagnation of water is, however, harmful to the plant because it not tolerant of extremes of temperatures and frosts.
Dr Fazal Bhari said that pineapple can also be successfully grown in earthen pots especially in the populated cities such as Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar, where land is not available for cultivation.
He said that pineapple is propagated from its seed and rainy season gives better results to farmers to get maximum production.
The agriculture guru said that the plant produced from suckers fruit in 18 months and from the other methods, it takes about two years to fruit!, adding vegetative propagation yields two crops in three years.
He said the fruit is not only delicious but also nutritive enough and that one cup of raw slices of pineapple (155 gms) give calories 77, protein 6, carbohydrates 14.2, fat 6, sodium I mg, potassium 175 mg, magnesium 21 mg, iron 5 mg, zinc 12 mg, Vitamin A 3.5 (RE), Vitamin C 23.9 mg, thiamine, 14, riboflavin, 05, calcium 11 mg, phosphorus 11 mg, fibre 1.8, and water 88pc.
He said the fruit is also diuretic and removes stones from urinary tracts and that its slices are served at breakfasts, luncheons and dinners.
In the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent, the people also used it in rice that makes the dish sweet besides utalizes it in bakery products like cakes, confectionery, ice-creams, beverages and non-alcoholic products.
Dr Fazal Bhari said that climate change has also adversally affected cultivation of pineapple in the country including Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
The effects of climate change on pineapples include irregular rainfall patterns, excessive heat, drying of streams, rising temperatures, change in color and taste, reduction in fruit size and yield, and a decrease in income from pineapple production.
He said that Pakistan could earn maximum revenue through commercialization of the pineapple.
The experts underlined the need of introduction of climate change resistant varieties of pineapple to promote its cultivation for economic benefits of Pakistan.
