Sargodha’s kinnows dominate fruit exports

Citrus variety is Pakistan’s most cultivated

SARGODHA:

Sargodha enjoys the distinction of being the top producer of kinnow, a fruit relished for its great taste and myriad health benefits. According to an estimate, Sargodha produces 96 per cent of kinnows in the country and its orchards sprawl over hundreds of thousands of acres.

Kinnow, a variety of citrus fruit, possesses a unique taste and multiple nutritional and medicinal properties, being rich in vitamin C, sugar, iron, manganese, zinc and copper. Health experts say kinnow juice cleans the blood, boosts immunity and is very useful in controlling heart diseases.

The local economy in Sargodha and Bhalwal heavily depends on kinnow cultivation, while there are around 250 kinnow processing centres in the region which employ over 250,000 people. According to a recent report on kinnow yield, Pakistan had a 2.1% share of global production, producing 2.5 million tonnes annually. Kinnow is also cultivated in other parts of country, besides Sargodha.

Ayub Research Institute (ARI) Director General Muhammad Nawaz Khan Mekan told the media during his visit to Sargodha that kinnow is the most cultivated and most exported fruit in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2022.