SARGODHA: Citrus Research Institute Director Altaf-ur-Rehman has expressed satisfaction over kinnow production in the area and said that exports would be enhanced during the current season.
Talking to APP here Friday, he said that demand for Pakistani citrus was increasing across the world while exports to Malaysia and Indonesia would be continued from January to April.He said that Russia was a big market of kinnow export and Iran was also importing Pakistani product.
Answering a question about the quality of kinnow, he said that during the current year, kinnow quality has been the best due to fewer rains while it is not affected by any disease.
A lot of seminars and awareness campaigns were being launched in the district to introduce modern techniques for growers, the director said and added that seedless citrus variety was also introduced whose demand has been very high in the international market. He said that rates of 40-kilogram kinnow had been decided Rs 800 with the consultation of growers and factory owners/ processors which was being delivered to farmers.
The country was at 13 numbers in citrus production and only Sargodha district producing 80 per cent of country’s production, the experts said. He said that the territory is known as the largest citrus production market where a total of 123,7051-ton citrus was being produced from 94,623 acres area every year.
