Spanning 20,000 square kilometers, the Thar Desert is one of the world’s largest and most fertile deserts. During the monsoon season, if there is good rainfall, the desert turns lush green, with greenery visible all around. Local people take advantage of the monsoon season to cultivate crops such as cluster beans, millet, and mung beans, which provide them with a good source of income through their sales. The natural grass that grows with the rainwater serves as fodder for livestock for several months. During the monsoon season, a specific type of mushroom also grows naturally in the desert, which the locals enjoy cooking and eating. Additionally, watermelon vines sprout across the desert, producing watermelons with flesh that is usually white or pink rather than deep red, but still very sweet. A tree commonly found in many areas of Thar is known as “Kandi” or “Khejri.” This tree bears pods, which are used as a vegetable and are called “Sangri.” Since most areas of the Thar Desert do not have canal systems, agriculture here relies on rainwater. In September 2015, Dua Foundation initiated its Agro Farm project by installing an electric-powered tube well on a piece of land owned by a local villager in Kaloi tehsil. The owner, Ali Muhammad Lund, was a poor laborer who owned eight acres of ancestral land but used to earn his living by cutting and selling wood from wild acacia trees. This wood was used as fuel in brick kilns, and in some areas, it was also converted into charcoal. Ali Muhammad earned about 9,000 rupees a month, which was barely enough to sustain his family. His family lived in makeshift shelters, and his children did not attend school. After the installation of the tube well, Dua Foundation provided him with mustard seeds and guided him on how to cultivate mustard crops. As Ali Muhammad had some farming experience from cultivating during the monsoon season, he quickly adapted. Within just six months of planting mustard, he earned 150,000 rupees. Following this success, he went on to grow wheat, cotton, psyllium, and other crops, bringing about a significant economic transformation in his life. Dua Foundation named this initiative the Agro Farm Project and expanded it to other areas, including Kaloi, Diplo, Islamkot, Nagarparkar, Chachro, and Dahli. Several farms were established in various villages and handed over to local communities. In villages without electricity, solar systems were installed to operate the tube wells.

How Does the Solar Tube Well Work?

Three bores are drilled on a piece of land, and a large storage tank is constructed. Submersible pumps are installed in the bores to extract water, which is then collected in the tank and distributed to the crops. These submersible pumps are powered by solar systems, making them efficient and sustainable solutions for water management in the region. Through these initiatives, the Dua Agro Farm Project is helping to transform the agricultural landscape of Thar, providing sustainable livelihoods and improving the quality of life for many local families.

Cultivation of Fruit Trees in Thar

In October 2018, a large Agro Farm was established on the ancestral land of a school teacher, Shahabuddin Samejo, in the village of Sakhi Siyar, the second-largest tehsil of Dahli in Thar. The farm spans 18 acres, with a bore drilled to a depth of 450 feet and a diameter of 12 inches. A large submersible pump was installed, along with a storage tank with a capacity of 16,000 gallons of water, powered by a solar system. The Agro Farm has successfully cultivated crops such as wheat, mustard, cotton, psyllium, sesame, and cumin. Notably, Dua Foundation has also planted date palms, jujube, pomegranate, and olive trees on this land. Jujube is a native fruit of Tharparkar, but it typically grows as wild shrubs bearing very small fruit. Dua Foundation brought grafted jujube plants from a nursery in Mirpurkhas and planted them here. For date palms, saplings of the Aseel variety were sourced from Khairpur, while pomegranate and olive plants were obtained from a nursery in Islamabad. This marked the first time in the thousands-year history of the Thar Desert that date palms, pomegranates, and olives were cultivated. Jujube and pomegranate plants began bearing fruit after just one year, while date palms started to produce clusters of dates after two years. It is important to note that date palms include both male and female trees, and when clusters (flowers) appear, male pollen must be manually applied to the female clusters to produce well-sized fruit. The successful cultivation of date palms in Dahli is a breakthrough for the people of Thar. Following this success, Dua Foundation has also planted date palms in the tehsils of Kaloi and Diplo. These trees include varieties such as Aseel, Dhakki, and Mazafati. Since September 2015, Dua Foundation has established more than 60 AgroFarms. The success of these projects has inspired hundreds of people in the tehsils of Kaloi, Diplo, Nagarparkar, and Chachro to start farming on their own, using their resources to develop AgroFarms.

Grafting Wild Jujube Shrubs

In 2020, Dua Foundation conducted experiments in several villages of Dahli tehsil, grafting wild jujube shrubs with grafted jujube varieties. These experiments were highly successful, and within just one year, the grafted trees began producing large-sized fruit. Following these successful trials, hundreds of individuals across various villages are now grafting wild jujube shrubs on their lands.

Cultivation of Moringa and Australian Acacia

Dua Foundation has introduced the cultivation of Moringa and Australian Acacia in the tehsils of Kaloi, Diplo, and Dahli in Thar. Moringa pods are used as a vegetable, and its leaves serve as excellent fodder for livestock. Australian Acacia is a shrub that remains green throughout the year and is an excellent source of fodder for animals. These efforts by Dua Foundation are transforming the agricultural landscape of Thar, bringing new opportunities for sustainable farming and improved livelihoods for the local communities.