Russia opts for Punjab kinnow

Amaninder Pal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 21

The downing of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey in November, which led to a bitter standoff between the two European nations, has ringed in good news for Punjab’s kinnow growers. Having partially snapped its business ties with Turkey over the incident, Russia has turned to growers in the Abohar-Malout belt of south-west Punjab to meet its domestic requirement for kinnow.

At least 5.94 lakh kg kinnow from this pocket has already been shipped to St Petersburg and Novorossiysk ports in Russia. Kinnow growers and exporters say orders from Russian importers came in suddenly after Turkey shot down the jet. The export is being anchored by state-owned Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited.

Ukraine too has placed orders for Punjab’s kinnow for the first time. Two containers (each containing 27,000 kg produce) have been shipped to the country, Kahan Singh Pannu, managing director of the corporation, told The Tribune. “Earlier, Turkey exported the produce to these countries. But this is the first time that Punjab has received orders to export kinnow to these nations,” said Pannu.

While Pakistan is another major kinnow exporter to these nations, its exports to Russia have fallen by 25-30 per cent this year. Nagesh Seth, a Mumbai-based fruit exporter who assists the Punjab Agri Corporation and kinnow growers, said: “Pakistan and Turkey have been major kinnow exporters to Russia. Exports from Pakistan, which shipped around 3,500 containers every year to Russia, have gone down by 25-30 per cent this year. With Moscow refusing to buy Turkish kinnow, the produce is now been imported from India.”

Surinder Charaya, an exporter from Abohar, said: “In December, we sent 12 kinnow containers to Russia. The demand for the produce is quite high in Russia and we are getting good orders from there.” Pannu said 22 containers have been transported to Russia, two to Ukraine and 34 to United Arab Emirates.