There is a popular saying that Pakistan has two types of weather – hot and too hot. There is not much mention of the autumn season whose span (if any) has now shrunk to a period of a few weeks. Apart from a few areas in the north, the temperature remains warm over the country for most of the year. Even winters are not as cold as they were once. Some areas do get freezing winters but for limited time periods. For example, Lahore has had nights when the temperature fell to zero degrees celsius.

But as October begins, a slight shift in the weather can be felt. Changing weather brings change in people’s lifestyles, in addition to promoting different economic activities. Weather-specific economic activities are the first to change and are apparent. This write-up will do a roundup of the transition in the economy with the changes in weather.

Starting with the heating needs of people, the need for gas increases as the weather begins changing. It gradually becomes scarce as winter approaches, due to its demand in other sectors, including the industry and fertiliser sector, where it is used as raw material. This shortage makes people buy cylinders at a high cost. The impact of high gas bills also takes a heavy toll on people’s pockets as the change in the slab can make the bill drastically high. Anyhow people have to survive and brave winters, so they do the needful.

Muhammad Irtaza, a sales manager at an appliance shop, says that over the last few years, people have started shifting to solar power heaters and geysers that save them from hefty bills. Irtaza adds that businesses stock this equipment in summers and wait for the right time to sell it off on good profit.

Autumn/winter tourism cannot be missed when we talk about the impacts of changing seasons on the economy. Individuals, families and groups travel to the north to see and experience the weather which becomes significantly cold, come October. Saqib Khadim, a tour operator based in Gujranwala, shares with The News on Sunday (TNS) that winter tourism is adventurous as roads are slippery and blocked by snow. At some places, he says, you have to remove the obstructing snow to make way. However, he says, “there is a fall in the number of fun-loving tourists because of the closure of Babusar Top, which links the rest of the country with Gilgit-Baltistan”.

Changing weather brings change in people’s lifestyles, in addition to promoting different economic activities. Weather-specific economic activities are the first to change and are apparent.

While people from all over the country travel to the north, residents of areas like Skardu migrate to lower and warmer parts of the country to spend time here and earn a living. According to information published in an international magazine (Arab News), 20 percent of Skardu’s population migrates to warmer regions as Autumn approaches in the northern areas. The economy of these areas is dependent on these workers because the remaining members of their families stock food and stay indoors during this period.

There is no disagreement over the fact that there is a marked increase in the demand for certain kinds of food as autumn begins, for example, dry fruits and fish among others. Many fish shops remain closed in harsh summers and open up only when the weather becomes conducive. Peanuts, walnuts etc remain affordable; however, cashew nuts and pine nuts (chilghoza) have almost become unreachable for the common man, with prices rising up to almost Rs10,000 per kg. A reason cited for this is the heavy export of this dry fruit.

Similarly, with the change in season we see a gradual shift towards the demand for soups, qehwa, boiled eggs, gaajar ka halwa etc. It doesn’t happen overnight but there is a gradual shift as soon as October begins. It has been seen that people selling juices, sherbet etc., in summers gradually begin selling soups and qehwa as the season changes.

As autumn approaches many shop owners announce summer sales, and the purpose of these sales is to clear the stock which could not be sold, and the capital injected by them was stuck. Mian Tahir, a purchase officer at a leather tannery, says the sale of leather jackets used to be a great activity, but now their sales and production have come down. The reasons, he says, are the popularity of faux leather, the high cost of natural leather and the non-availability of quality skins. These factors have also hit Pakistani exports of leather goods, he adds.

The author is a staff reporter and can be reached at shahzada.irfan@gmail.com