Chandigarh, November 24: Kinnow growers of Punjab are looking forward to a bumper crop this season owing to conducive weather. Despite expecting surplus production, they are anticipating good returns because of poor output of competing fruits like oranges and sweet lemon (mosambi).
Kinnow production is expected to be at least 15-20% higher than last year, Punjab-based farmers said. In 2017-18, the total area under kinnow was 51,649 hectares and the total production was 12.08 lakh tonnes. Kinnows are primarily grown in Abohar, Hoshiarpur, Mansa, Muktsar and Bathinda districts.
“Prices are likely to remain firm this year. It can even fetch better returns. Once the current orange crop is over from the market, which is expected in the next 10 days, kinnow prices will increase,” said Prem Bubbar, a Fazilka-based kinnow farmer and horticulture extension service provider.
He said the second orange crop, which arrives in northern and southern markets in mid-January, has been hit by the drought in Maharashtra. So, its availability will be less, which will propel the demand of kinnow.
Besides the northern region, south India is also a major market for the Punjab’s kinnow growers and the market plays a vital role in deciding the price of the fruit in a particular season.
Oranges are grown twice in a year. The first harvest season lasts till November and other starts in January. Kinnow harvesting in Punjab, on the other hand, starts in December and continues till March.
Currently, prices of kinnow are hovering around Rs 12-13 per kg at the farm level. It is, however, sold at Rs 30-40 per kg in the retail markets.
Experts said, the government initiative to export the fruit to other countries can further increase the farmers’ income. The demand had increased in the existing markets due to good quality of fruit and efforts are also being made to explore new markets.
In 2016-17, around 7,200 tonnes of kinnow were exported to different countries. Farmers say there is an immense scope of exports and the government must take proactive measures to boost it.
Also, inclusion of the fruit on trading e-NAM portal will give fillip to the demand. “The state government has started registration of farmers under e-NAM. Hopefully, it will be able to market the fruit on electronic platform. This will help us in fetching higher price,” said a farmer from Abohar.
Source Tribune India
