Page 151 - Muzaffargarh Gazzetteer

Date Palm
The most remarkable and noticeable plant in the district is the date-palm,
known locally as khajji—so much so that it has found its way into the
district’s logo too. Many attribute the introduction of the plant in the area to
the arrival of Muhammad Bin Qasim but there is no conclusive evidence.
Similarly, one of the oldest orchards, Taliri Bagh in Tehsil Muzaffargarh is
attributed to Nawab Muzaffar Khan, the founder of Muzaffargarh. It is said
that on his return from Hajj towards the end of 1808, he purchased many
rare varieties of the date-palm and transplanted them in Shujaabad, Multan
and Muzaffargarh, and that the Taliri Bagh could be the remnant of the
same. The Bagh had deteriorated over the time and was in shambles owing
to negligence by the concerned department, i.e. the District Council.
However, a project of its massive rehabilitation was launched in 2019 to
preserve statedly the first and possibly the oldest bagh of the tehsil, if not
the district.
The khajji grows in every part of the district and flourishes even in the poorest
soil. The major varieties grown in district are Aseel, Zahidi, Fasli, Dhakki,
Dagh, Hillawi, Sabzo, Barhi, Deglet Nour, Medjol, Thorry, etc. The best
indigenous variety grows in the vicinity of Alipur towards the north of Tehsil
Muzaffargarh.
The date palm trees are source of livelihood for a large number of farmers.
Every part of the plant has a separate use, but besides the fruit, the leaves
are most useful, and are used for making mats, baskets, fans and ropes.
Even though the plant is prone to a number of diseases and infestations, the
greatest enemy of the date is continued rain which, when occurs, completely
destroys the crops. In fact, humidity above 60% and temperatures below
25°C cast adverse effects on the ripening of the fruit.
In view of the large production of dates, it was decided in early 1970s to
establish date processing plant in Muzaffargarh to enable the farmers to
export their dates. Ayub Agriculture Research Institute Faisalabad provided
machinery for the purpose but due to the lack of technical skills and other
reasons, it could not be made functional.

Sugarcane
Even though sugarcane is grown in the district since long, but the trend
increased by manifold after 1990s with the establishment of 4 sugarcane
factories: 1 in Tehsil Muzaffargarh, 2 in Tehsil Kot Addu, and 1 in Tehsil
Jatoi. Of all 4, the one in Jatoi has gone out of production since 2017, due
to an adverse court verdict, and is now passing through the stages of
attachment/liquidation processes.
It may be noted here that the increasing trend of growing sugarcane has
adversely affected the growth of cotton and wheat in the district.

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