‘Unbearable’ heat makes Pakistan’s date harvest a gruelling battle for workers

KHAIRPUR, Aug 14 — Workers in Pakistan's southern Sindh province face an increasingly perilous date harvest as temperatures soar. In Khairpur, Muhammad Idrees ladles boiled dates from a pot over an open flame, a labor-intensive task that becomes more grueling each year. Date season starts in July, when temperatures regularly soar to mid-40 degrees Celsius.

Workers begin their day before dawn and break it into short shifts to cope with the heat. Their grueling routine involves harvesting and boiling fruit picked from palm trees lining Khairpur district, which produces more than half of Pakistan's dates and employs thousands of farmers and seasonal laborers. Idrees, a decade-long date laborer, said the heat has become "unbearable" in recent years.

Date laborers are one of many agriculturally-dependent professions becoming more difficult and dangerous as temperatures rise. "The heat used to be less intense," Idrees told AFP as temperatures hit 42C. "Now the heat is much harsher and the days are extremely hot. We fall ill because of it." Multiple workers told AFP they often suffer from heatstroke, fainting, and fever.

"When the heat makes us sick, we go to the doctor for treatment and then return to work," Idrees added. Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The nation has faced more frequent heatwaves, erratic monsoon rains, and devastating floods in recent years, including the catastrophic 2022 floods that inundated nearly a third of the country and displaced millions, particularly in Sindh province.

Date laborers descend on farms around 2 am to avoid the worst of the daytime heat, breaking their labor-intensive workday until the late evening. Idrees earns around 1,200 Pakistani rupees (US$4) a day for the physically demanding work. "We harvest the dates, load them onto trolleys and bring them here," he said. "They are boiled over the fire and then spread outside in the sun to dry."

Pakistan, the world's fifth-largest date producer, normally earns more than US$120 million a year in exports, according to industry estimates. Heavy monsoon rains caused by shifting weather patterns have damaged date crops, leading to financial losses for farmers. However, the primary challenge now is the heat, as temperatures continue to rise year after year.