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Time of India

Kutch's famous dates fall victim to its rain bounty

Rajkot: A group of 130 agricultural scientists, researchers and students — including experts from the United States, Morocco and Finland — gathered in Bhuj last month to address the future of Kutch's renowned date palm cultivation. Once a rain-deficient region, Kutch has seen a vast shift in its climate in recent years — with increased rainfall and frequent cyclones — threatening the very existence of its famous dates. What worries experts is the uniqueness of Kutch's date palms. The region has 140-odd varieties and genotypes of varying sizes and shapes, according to the Date Palm Research Centre in Mundra, run by Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University. The international conference, titled "Technological Innovations and Sustainable Development in Date Palm", focused on developing climate-resilient varieties of date palms. Experts emphasized the urgent need for research and biotechnology to address changing agro-climatic challenges. Traditionally, date palms in Kutch would start bearing fruit from the last week of May through to early June, with the harvest stretching till Aug. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo In the past, the monsoon arrived in late July or early August — after the bulk of the harvest was completed. Climate change has altered this. The monsoon rain now starts as early as June 15, damaging ripening fruits, rupturing their skin, spoiling their taste and rendering them unsellable. C M Murlidharan, secretary of the Indian Date Palm Society, said, "The number of rainy days in Kutch has risen from 11 a year to 38. Annual rainfall has gone from 340mm to 1,200mm. Due to this, date growers are facing crop losses of 30% to 40% every year." He further emphasized the need for biotech intervention, saying, "We need to develop rain-resistant fruit or promote early maturing varieties, which bear fruit before the monsoon." Farmers echoed these concerns, noting that date palms need high temperatures in May for proper fruit setting. In recent years, unseasonal rain and cyclones in May have disrupted this. Vikramsinh Jadeja, a date grower from Anjar taluka and president of the Kutch Date Palm Growers Association, said: "Due to the threat of rain, farmers are forced to harvest unripe dates. Consumers don't prefer these, which leads to low demand and low prices." He added that while some early-maturing Desi varieties exist in certain pockets, most farmers — whether growing Desi or Barhi dates — are affected. "The Barhi variety, which comes later in the season, has no appeal if harvested half-ripe," he said. Roughly 25% of Kutch's date farmers have shifted to Barhi, a yellow variety known for its higher yield and sweeter taste. A single Barhi tree can yield around 250kg a season, compared to 150kg from Desi varieties. This has made it a consumer favourite and more profitable — in ideal conditions. Kapil Sharma, a scientist at the Date Palm Research Centre in Mundra, noted that Barhi's late maturing has backfired due to the shifting rain cycle: "In the past four to five years, Barhi growers suffered heavy losses. As this variety matures later it is more vulnerable to rain. Its cultivation also requires higher investment, amplifying the economic damage." Kutch currently has an estimated 20 lakh date trees on 19,000 hectares, with annual production averaging 1.8 lakh metric tonnes. Dates are grown in Mundra, Mandvi, Anjar, Bhachau, Rapar, Bhuj and Nakhatrana talukas. The region's aridity and the high tolerance of date palms to water salinity made it ideal for date farming. If farmers do not get scientific innovation in these changing climatic conditions, it will be difficult for them to bear such losses for more years. DATE WITH DESTINY Kutch has 140-odd varieties and genotypes of varying sizes and shapes The number of rainy days each year in Kutch has risen from 11 to 38 Annual rainfall has risen from 340mm to 1,200mm Most date varieties fall within two categories – Desi and Barhi 25% of Kutch's date growers rely on the Barhi type Barhi's late maturing has backfired due to the shifting rain cycle Kutch has an estimated 20 lakh date trees on 19,000 hectares, with annual production averaging 1.8 lakh metric tonnes