Bumper kinnow crop expected in 2011-12

Modern farming techniques and heavy monsoon boosted yield.

KARACHI:

Despite recent floods and heavy crop damage, a bumper kinnow crop is are expected in 2011-12 as farmers used modern farming techniques under the directives of technical and farm fruit experts.

Harvest Tradings CEO Ahmad Jawad, while speaking to The Express Tribune said, “For the upcoming season, which starts in November, there are encouraging reports of good orange crops ranging around 2.5 million tons”.

Resultantly, he said, there stand strong prospects that the country’s orange exports would surpass previous year’s 200,000 tons figure.

Ahmad said that the heavy monsoon rains had been beneficial in growing citrus in different parts of the country, especially Sargodha. When asked about the recent concerns over fruit wastage due to lack of storage facilities, Ahmad said that the concerns were valid and continued to remain present.

However, the CEO said that the University of Agriculture Faisalabad had taken an initiative and was working on the proposals of stakeholders to improve and maintain the quality of oranges.

He said the proposals include enforcement of quality and grading standards, pre-shipment inspection and some incentives like subsidies on airfreights for those exporters who would voluntarily present their goods for inspection.

The oranges’ season starts in mid-November and lasts till mid-April, while exports start by mid-December. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2011.