Fazilka: Per-acre yield of kinnow doubles, wholesale market rates plunge

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, December 4

There has been a record production of citrus fruit kinnow this year in Fazilka district, but farmers are disheartened due to the low price of kinnow.

11 Lakh tonne production expected

• Fazilka DC Senu Duggal said high yield of kinnow had broken all previous records and they expect a total production of 11 lakh tonnes this year
• She attributed the rise in yield to a conducive atmosphere for farming and the availability of canal water even at tail-end villages in the district

According to sources, the area under fruit cultivation in the state is about 97,000 hectares. Of this, 46,841 hectares is under kinnow cultivation. This year, kinnow was sown in 38,326 hectares in Fazilka. The arrival of the fruit has been now begun in Abohar and Fazilka markets. Until now, only semi-ripe, red coloured fruit has been arriving at the markets.

Farmers said the yield per acre has doubled compared to last year. Karan Wadhwa, a horticulturist from Diwan Khera village, said last year he had picked 100 quintals of fruit from an acre of land while this year, the yield has doubled to 200 quintals per acre.

Fazilka DC Senu Duggal said the high yield of kinnow has broken all previous records and the administration has been expecting a total production of 11 lakh tonnes of the fruit this year in the district. She attributed the rise in yield to a conducive atmosphere and availability of canal water even at tail-end villages.

Presently, the fruit is being exported to almost all towns of the state and parts of UP, Bihar and Bengaluru. The fully ripe fruit is expected to reach the markets after December 15.

Sources said the red-coloured kinnow is being sold at Rs 15-16 per kg in the wholesale market. Mix coloured (green and red) fruit is being sold at Rs 11-12 per kg, whereas green coloured smaller size C and D grade is fetching a price of Rs 6-8 per kg, which is not able to make up for even the input cost.

“Kinnow king” Prem Babbar, who was one of the horticulturists who introduced kinnow in this border belt, said in the absence of any government policy, the farmers were not getting the remunerative price and they had been left to fend for themselves.

He added that the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited should intervene to take care of kinnow growers.

Trader Inder Sharma said the Punjab Agro should buy C and D grade kinnow for making juice to maintain the prices in the market. He also demanded that the Punjab Agro juice factory in Abohar — that has remained closed for three years now — be restarted.

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