Recovering from war and living in hope: Fruit and vegetable markets in Pakistan’s Swat Valley

This paper analyses how conflict disrupted the market for fruit and vegetables and how it is seeking to recover

Abstract

Pakistan’s Swat valley is the centre of fruit and vegetable production in Kyhber Pakhtunkhwa province. Between 2007 and 2009 the markets’ activity was severely compromised by Taliban militancy and the army action against them; a third of agricultural workers lost their livelihood source. This paper analyses how conflict disrupted the market for fruit and vegetables and how it is seeking to recover. It examines changes in the agricultural supply chain, shifts in crops and occupation, the availability of inputs from government and aid actors, new entrants and leavers to the market, and the advance of external competitors. A number of strategies for post-conflict rehabilitation are identified.

This research was funded under the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortuim (SLRC) programme

Citation

Suleri, A., Shahbaz, B., Shah, Q., 2016. Recovering from war and living in hope: Fruit and vegetable markets in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, Working Paper, London: Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium, 28p

Recovering from war and living in hope: Fruit and vegetable markets in Pakistan’s Swat Valley

Updates to this page

Published 17 May 2016