Grower Story
Asma Shabbir
The Sheikhupura District in Pakistan’s Punjab province boasts a rich clay soil that is ideal for farming. Since childhood, 45-year-old Asma Shabbir has worked this land, producing wheat, corn, and the aromatic, long-grained basmati rice for which the region is famous.
Today, Shabbir leases and operates a five-hectare farm in Mureedke, north-west of Lahore, growing crops that have sustained the area for generations. Situated on a level, alluvial plain, Shabbir waters her crops from a canal and a tube well. “Rice and wheat are famous,” she says. “But along with these, we also cultivate animal feeds and vegetables. Every crop has its own season.”
In July and August, Shabbir plants rice, a labor-intensive process. Seeds are gathered, then soaked in water to aid germination. “Then we furrow the land, and finally, we transfer the seeds to the land,” she says. The November harvest is sometimes done by hand, as well, but usually by machine. Once complete, she plants wheat the same way, then harvests it in April and May. Shabbir also cultivates corn during the wheat season, which is used for animal feed.
Days are full for the mother of four and her husband, a government employee—no matter the season. “We wake up early in the morning and we offer prayers,” she says. “After breakfast, the children go to school, and I go to the fields.”
Shabbir interacts closely with other farmers throughout the day to solve problems and manage the crops. In recent years, she and the others have received on-site training from agricultural experts, enabling them to work more effectively. With expert help, Shabbir has learned to use water more effectively, thus avoiding excess watering and limiting the use of expensive diesel fuel used to pump it from the tube well. As a result, her expenses are lower and rice yields have risen from 3 tons to more than 4 tons per hectare, boosting her income.
As the mother of two sons and two daughters, Shabbir hopes to someday see new opportunities for women, who sit idle at home during the off-season. “Our income is linked with rice and wheat cultivations,” she says. “There should be an alternative way to earn instead of farming.”
In the evening, Shabbir and her family gather on the patio to discuss the day and enjoy a meal of biryani and kheer, two regional rice specialties. And while she also enjoys tending her many animals -- a dog, birds, goats, and buffalo – she most enjoys visiting with family and friends of all ages. Says Shabbir: “My hobby is to sit with elders and take their advice.”