Larkana's guava crisis: 75% decline threatens farms

Larkana, once Pakistan's thriving guava heartland, is now facing a devastating crisis. In just five years, yields have plummeted by 75% due to climate change and the mealybug disease, wiping out a $50 million export industry.

With half the orchards destroyed and a key $100 million project shut down, thousands of farmers and laborers are left in despair. As rising temperatures and erratic weather disrupt harvests, Larkana's guava industry teeters on the edge of collapse.

The region's decline represents a significant blow to Pakistan's agricultural sector, where guava cultivation has been a traditional cornerstone of local farming for generations.

Mealybugs, small insects that feed on plant sap, have proven particularly destructive to guava trees, leaving farmers struggling to protect their remaining crops with limited resources. The combination of pest infestation and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns has created perfect conditions for crop failure, making traditional farming methods increasingly ineffective.

The impact extends far beyond the orchards themselves, affecting the entire agricultural supply chain in the region. Local packaging facilities, transportation networks, and market vendors who once relied on Larkana's guava trade have seen their businesses severely impacted.

The crisis has triggered a chain reaction in the local economy, with many families who have farmed these lands for generations now facing difficult decisions about their future in agriculture.

Watch the full video as Nukta's Akhtiar Khokhar takes you inside Larkana's devastated orchards, shedding light on the crisis threatening the region's agricultural heart.