Dates help sustain energy levels of men during long journeys across the deserts, provided a source of shade and accommodation via date palms in the oasis, shelter from winds and by-products of date palms aided agricultural production. Conversely, the expansion and optimization of date varieties were given vent to by mankind as without tender care some premium varieties would not have existed and growth potential would be regressive.

Dates contain vitamins and minerals such as oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, copper and magnesium, which improve health and are said to counter health issues such as intestinal disorders, weight gain, heart problems, and abdominal cancer. Dates also provide nourishment for muscle development. They may be consumed in their original state or mixed with other ingredients and pacify hunger. In addition, dates are low in fat and high in antioxidants such as potassium, poly-phenolic flavonoids, vitamin C, anthocyanin, thus providing a degree of resistance to oxidant stress, diseases, thereby boosting immunity level. Another benefit is that it prolongs the natural changes of ageing by protecting and rejuvenating cells, tissues and organs within the human body.

Despite boasting myriad varieties, via trial and error, only a select few have been thrust into large-scale cultivation for commercial purposes. These in turn are distributed amongst several countries.

Two distinct directions where dates were propagated by the cultivation of date palms were Mesopotamia to Iran while the other propagated from Egypt towards Libya. The earlier establishment of date plants was facilitated by the presence of irrigation facilities and subsequently, optimized when commercial camel traffic through Sahara was made possible.

The exact location of the date gene center is lost in history but evidence points towards modern day southern Iraq while traces also exist in North-East Africa and ancient Egypt. From thereon, date palms spread by means of population movements, missionaries during the conquistadores introduced date palms to Latin America and unintentionally armies, soldiers, traders and discoverers spread date palms by leaving seeds behind after consumption.

Through an array of scientific and agricultural techniques inculcating fertilization, pest control, tissue culture development, restriction of plant per hectare, man learned to avail the potential inherent in dates. This helped in gaining access to palm trunks serving as building material while the perpetual production cycle of dates enabled desert survival and habitation.

The propagation of date palm is considered to be one of the most challenging activities in agriculture. Production of premier dates is even more a daunting task. Here at Waadi Dates, it has taken us 21 years of arduous work to develop new cultivars of dates acceptable to date connoisseurs and characteristics conforming to international standards of premium dates. Till date, we have developed over 15 varieties to be classified as premium dates based on taste, texture and flavor. We are currently in the process of naming them and they are exclusive to Waadi Dates.

We are proud of the fact that we have achieved this goal and put Pakistan on the map of premium date producers. Dates produced and marketed by us are free from any preservatives or additives to artificially enhance flavor or appearance of the fruit as is the general practice for marketing of dates in many date growing areas of Pakistan. We have also successfully grown multiple world-renowned dates’ varieties such as Medjool, Ajwa, Sagai, Barhi, Dhakki on our farms and these are available along with our own varieties for home delivery in special packs (subject to availability at the time of placing an order). Dates are said to be the fruit of kings and we ensure utmost standards of these premium dates.