By: Shahzad Naveed
SWAT: 27-year-old entrepreneur, Asif Habib from Tehsil Matta, Swat, has taken the initiative to preserve fruits and vegetables for an extended period, creating employment opportunities for the local community.
Habib has established a factory, “Fruit Zu” where fruits and vegetables are dried using a spoilage-prevention technique.
Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is renowned for its variety of fruit productions besides tourism, and it produces 150 metric tons of fruit annually, with 45-50% typically going to waste due to inadequate preservation. Habib’s initiative aims to mitigate this waste and make Swat’s fruits and vegetables available year-round.
Fruit Zu employs both natural and artificial drying methods to preserve various fruits, including Red Persimmon, Apricots, Peaches, and Apples, as well as vegetables like Spinach, Onions, Tomatoes, and potatoes.
The fruit preservation startup preserved products and then distributed them to local markets and other districts within the province.
Mr Asif is optimistic and revealed about his plans to expand his operations across the country and globally.
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Red persimmon cultivation spans over 5,000 acres, yielding around 50,000 tons annually across district Swat. However, farmers claim that approximately 50% to 55% of the fruit goes to waste each year.
35-year-old Sultan Ali, a veteran of the dried fruit business at Mingora’s Nisht Chowk, told Pakhtun Digital, “People demand Swat’s dried fruits here, but our shops mainly stock dried fruits from Afghanistan and Gilgit-Baltistan. If we receive dried fruits and vegetables from Swat, we’ll happily purchase and supply them to customers.”
Sultan added that Swat is renowned for tourism globally. “When tourists enjoy the scenic beauty and return home safely, they buy local dried fruits as souvenirs. If we provide them with Swat’s dried fruits and vegetables, they would eagerly buy and take them back, benefiting our business and making Swat’s products easily accessible.”
This statement highlights the potential of Asif Habib’s Fruit Zu initiative, which aims to reduce waste by drying fruits and vegetables, thereby catering to local demand and tapping into the tourism market.
Asif has established a factory, Fruit Zu, in his hometown, where fruits and vegetables are dried. Previously, farmers would bring their wasted fruits to the factory, which are now preserved.
Asif Habib explained that the recent hailstorm and climate change had damaged most of the crops, prompting him to take action. “We collect fruits and vegetables from farmers, wash and cut them into pieces, and then dry them using sunlight or machines.” The drying process takes around six days in sunlight and just six hours using machines,” The fruit preserver asserts
Mr Habib imported the machinery from Punjab at Rs2.2 million, which has enabled efficient drying. Habib’s initiative has not only saved fruits and vegetables from waste but also created employment opportunities for the local poverty-stricken community.
“This is our third year, and around ten people work with us in the day shift as a daily wager,” Asif said and expressed his desire to expand the business and create more jobs for the locals.
The response from customers has been positive, with profits exceeding 50%. The dried fruits are sold at Rs500 to Rs2,000 per kilogram in local shops and are in high demand among tourists visiting Swat.
Agriculture experts believe that this initiative can prevent significant waste, create a new industry, and contribute substantially to the national economy.
