Pomegranate

The Farming System that Ensures Biodiversity Conservation

Dr Raziq Kakar7 Comments

Small scaled family farming plays a multidimensional role, ensuring not only livelihood but play a pivotal role in biodiversity conservation. Such farmers judiciously use the weeds and herbs grown along with the crops and use the crop residues as animal feed. Here are some pictures, I shot in my hometown Borai, Loralai which show us the beauty of this unique farming system. The farmer told me that he never used any pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Orchard grass and the biodiversity
These grasses are rich in nutrients and the best feed for the sheep, goats, and cows.

Location of beautiful orchard or JAR

Borai or Bori commonly known as Loralai is the cradle of orchard farming (locally known as JAR) and breeding area of native livestock, i.e sheep, goat, cattle, donkey, and chicken. The Jar is an ancient tradition of family gardening, fenced with the stalks of native thorny bushes or mud walls to protect from livestock and wildlife. The fence is known as Daragi and we have many villages and towns with the name of Daragi or Dargi. It is believed that the region is one of the ancient hubs of livestock husbandry and arable farming. I have tried to make some screenshots from google earth and show you where it is. The region is situated on the tracks of the strong winds between the sea and mountain. The red arrow indicates the wind tracks.

  • Orchard or family garden
    Family gardening is known as jar locally, a small heaven for the family
  • Borai on google earth
    Borai is situaited in northeastern Balochistan, known as Janobi Pashtunkhawa
  • The wind track between Pamir mountain and Indian sea
    Borai is on the route of strong dry winds between Pamir and Arabian sea
The location of Jar or family garden/orchard
Small farming conserve the native flora in the family gardens. Here is a beautiful florescense of wild mint
This weed is locally called Shinshobey in Pashtu. It is a wild mint. This weed is dried/powdered and used as food with yogurt and shlombey etc.
The beauty as well as rich animal feed
This weed is called Perwathke in Pashtu, a very rich feed for the small ruminants.
Chicken is the integral part of this farming
The chicken thrives on the insects in the orchard and provides a rich source of protein.
Chilles and Ocra vegetables - family gradening/orchard is a source of organic vegetables, fruits, and otehr food items for family use

Vegetables are grown at the orchard, providing rich and safe food for the family.

Chicory - a herbal shrub, also a beauty for the landscape
The beautiful but rich herbal plant – Chicory
Apricot tree
Apricot tree, the small piece of land is richer with different types of trees
Frog breeding is ensured here
The small canal provides a niche for frog breeding. One can see the eggs of the frogs.

More plant and animals diversity is placed on a smaller piece of land with the highest productivity and the whole family depends on this farm in one or another way.

  • Almod tree full of fruits
  • Almond fruits
Organic Almond, I was impressed of the taste and flavor
  • The trees and fodder for livestock Alfalfa
  • Chilles vegetable
Orchard – an organic paradise ensuring healthy food for the family members
  • Local fig variety
  • Fig tree
Healthy fruit – healthy family
Cow dung is a biofertilizer
The cow dung is dried and used as fuel. The remaining material (powdered) is used as farmyard manure
IMG_8366[1].JPG
Borai is home to delicious Anar (Pomegranate)
Prunus tree with healthy and tasty fruits. Locally, this fruit is called as Aloo.
Damson fruit, locally called Aloo. The dried fruit is a source of spices with sheep meat.
Author of the manuscript with a plum tree
We can find many different types of trees, plants, vegetables, and weeds on a smaller piece of land

Read in detail about my philosophy regarding small-scaled farming and its role in food security and biodiversity conservation. https://arkbiodiv.com/2011/10/12/113/