CHANDIGARH: Punjab, as a major grower of kinnow in the country and this year’s ‘king fruit’ growers of the state, are elated over a good yield this season. The produce is expected to be 13.50 metric tonnes after two years. However, they are staring at low prices this year Rs 6 to 10 per kg — as compared to Rs 20 to 25 per kg last year, a sharp decline.
The southern states in the country are the biggest market for Punjab’s kinnow and the region plays a vital role in deciding the pricing. Farmers say this season yield is expected to be 13.50 metric tonnes after two years as against 12 lakh MT in the last season. They added that they have not been able to recover their input cost and have demanded from the government to fix a minimum price for the fruit crop.
A total area of 47,000 hectares was brought under the kinnow crop this season. Abohar is the leading district in the state with a maximum area of 35,000 hectares harvesting the fruit crop, besides Hoshiarpur, Muktsar, Bathinda and some other districts Harvesting of kinnow, a hybrid between king and willow leaf mandarins, starts in December and goes on till February-end in Punjab.
Talking with this newspaper, Shivdeep Singh Brar, who grows he fruit crop in 11 acres Khippanwali village in Fazilka district says, “This year, it has been a bumper crop, thus prices have come down. The kinnows are sold in India mainly in southern states such as Telengana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is also sold in some eastern states including West Bengal and Orissa. Due to high taxes this season, kinnows could not be exported to Bangladesh.’’
“Also the size of fruits was smaller than usual due to bumper crop. The appearance was not as good (had more marks), there were high freight charges and the orange from Nagpur gave a stiff competition,’’ says Brar. A Kinnow grower Ajit Sharan, who grows the fruit crop over 90 acres of land in Ramgarh village in Abohar district, said that this season farmers are getting between Rs 6 to 8 per kg as against about Rs 25 per kg they got last year at this time. He further pointed out that though farmers are getting low prices, the kinnow crop is being sold at Rs 40 per kg in the retail market. “Farmers spend Rs 30,000 to 40,000 per acre on the kinnow crop and will be forced to uproot their orchards if they get such a raw deal,” he added.