Kinnow crop shows signs of early maturing

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 21

Here is some good news for kinnow lovers as the fruit will be available in the market early this season. Unlike in the past few years, the fruit has started maturing and colouring this year earlier. It has increased the possibility of reaching the market nearly 15 days in advance. Further, the fruit dropping has decreased sharply.

Though the kinnow growers are not sure of its reason, they claim that a dip in the day’s temperature is the major reason behind it.

During a visit to some orchards, it was found that a number of kinnow trees were laden with almost mature kinnows and ready for plucking in a few days. But these are yet to get tangy sweet taste.

However, the early colouring of fruit has cheered traders, who expect that now they would be able to supply the fresh fruit to Bihar during Chhath Pooja. A fruit trader, Rajinder Sharma, said there was a huge demand of kinnow in Bihar during the Chhath Pooja.

On the other hand, Balwinder Singh Tikka, state awardee kinnow grower from Abul Khurana village here, said, “The colouring of kinnow is early this year, but it has no effect on the fruit. It will get the original taste in mid-December. Even the growers should not sell it in advance. In Pakistan, the government has banned its early plucking.”

He further said, “There is bumper fruit expected this year and the quality is also fine. Thus we, along with Punjab Agro officials, are trying to export it to a number of countries and likely to visit Bangladesh in a few days.”

Meanwhile, Manik Vij, a kinnow grower from Abohar, said, “The weather this season has remained dry. Further, the fruit colouring is early. It may affect the size of fruit. The size doesn’t grow after the fruit gets its colour. The situation is almost same in all the orchards in the region.”

Ajay Vir Jakhar, chairman, Punjab State Farmers’ Commission, in his tweet, has also mentioned, “Kinnow is getting colour earlier this year. Fruit dropping has stopped as the day temperature has dropped.”

On the other hand, there were some kinnow growers who said that their fruit was yet to get colour. “I could not provide fertilisers to my orchard timely. Maybe this is why the fruit is yet to get colour in my orchard,” said a kinnow grower from Sappanwali village in Fazilka district.