The aim is to increase the production of quality citrus fruit to increase exports

The Punjab region is the No. 1 citrus producing region in Pakistan. Every effort is being made to boost the production of quality citrus fruits and increase exports.

 

According to Abdus Samad, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture, the Punjab government spends millions of rupees every year on citrus research. 

 

With these investments to boost the production of quality citrus fruits, but also with the work and efforts of the growers (more efficient cultivation methods, compliance with maturity requirements, sorting and grading of fruits, better marketing techniques), the volume produced and exported could increase, thus generating more income. 

 

The Punjab region provides 95% of Pakistan's citrus production. In the 2020-21 season the country exported 460,000 tonnes of kinnows to 40 markets, of which only 80 tonnes were destined for China. But in the future, better quality production is expected to significantly increase the volume exported to China. 

 

The kinnow is a variety of tangerine widely grown in the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. Kinnow is a hybrid of two cultivars: King (Citrus nobilis) and Willow Leaf (Citrus deliciosa). It was developed at the University of California, Riverside Citrus Experiment Station and released for commercial cultivation in 1935.

 

 

source : thenews.com.pk, dailytimes.com.pk, tribune.com.pk, wikipedia.org