![local per acre citrus yield half of india s output local per acre citrus yield half of india s output](https://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/302660-furitPHOTOFILE-1323109574.jpg)
The country’s citrus production per acre stands at approximately 4.6 tons, almost half of India’s 9 tons per acre, according to the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).
Disease, malpractice, mismanagement along with fake chemical fertilisers and pesticides are pushing production levels down, UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan told The Express Tribune. Developed and emerging economies like US, Spain and Brazil produce 12 to 15 tons per acre, triple Pakistan’s per acre production.
Pakistan, 13th largest grower of the fruit in the world, produces 2.36 million tons annually which is grown over 199,000 hectares.
In the report titled “A century old citrus disease, the reality and misconception” author UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan and associate Muhammad Fakharuddin Razi highlighted that the government should take appropriate measures to save the citrus industry which is facing severe threats due to greening and Huang Long Bing (HLB) diseases.
The study claimed that no cure has been found so far to control Huang Long Bing (HLB) or citrus greening disease.
“In areas where the disease is endemic, citrus trees may collapse in five to eight years and never produce eatable fruit. Once infected, it is forever infected.” Dr Khan added.
The research work conducted by the author was an attempt to speculate on the the disease in citrus growing areas of Punjab.
Around 43% of plant samples from 43 orchards of 11 tehsils in Punjab turned out to be infected with HLB in a test carried out by University of California, Riverside (UCR).
“Such a high level of inoculums in the field and continuous production of infected nursery plants portrays a horrible future for citrus manufacturers,” Dr Iqrar Khan said. Presence of both diseases may affect Pakistani citrus export much earlier than expected, Khan added.
Internationally, the disease and its vector are being treated as a biological weapon.
VC pointed out that this doctoral research proving HLB presence in the country was funded by the Higher Education Commission, under the 5,000 Indigenous PhD scholarships programme. Major part of the molecular studies was conducted in UCR and NCGRCD-USDA Riverside, CA, US. Apart from this study, a three years Pak-US research project worth $159,000 is ongoing with an aim to identify tolerance against HLB in different citrus types.
“This is the sole effort to handle the issue in Pakistan,” he said adding that a lab has been exclusively set up for HLB diagnosis in California with an annual budget of $35 million besides the fact that California is HLB free.
“The only serious contribution in Pakistan has been from University of Agriculture Faisalabad, where disease diagnostic and citrus virology lab along with nursery sanitation blocks have started operation.”
“In the current scenario, as there is no natural thermotherapy, the multi-dimensional efforts can only lead to disease control and eradication, which won’t be possible without the highest level of professional approach, solid commitment and sufficient funding,” Khan added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2011.
COMMENTS (23)
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@Mirza - Indian way of cultivation may be better than Pakistan but certainly not the best compared to many other countries like China in terms of productivity per acreage, etc. China is your close friend and they may help you. If you still want from India for the reasons mentioned by you, I am sure Indian government will help Pakistan. You should bench mark against Indian Punjab that is fertile and also that our Punjabi farmers are very hard working, use tractors and good techniques to achieve high productivity
I do not have much experience with Indian citrus fruits. However, Pakistani fruits cannot be popular in the US. They have lots and lots of seeds and not easy to eat. In the US market almost all the citrus fruits are seedless or very few seed if any. This is just a humble suggestion and not an insult or starting a debate. Once again comparing with India and learning from them is easy, cheap and fast. Not to beat each other up but learn form the elder brother.
@ramesh: Good point.
Most of us fail to realise that Inidan Punjab is suffering from a chemical overdose that has even crept up the food chain to cows and the milk produced.
Pakistan has its fair share of envoironmental issues. Defence Housing Schems have uprooted all ancient trees in Lahore and not reduced food security in the area....
There are so many other issues..
I congratulate the faculty of Agricultural University, Faisalabad and researcher/scholars of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad for such news...................... It is time wake and do some work.........
@ Mr. Ram we have already allowed a couple of multinational retail chains e.g. Metro, which is German, and a french one.
@Mirza. Good explanation sir, Raj, Ram and lobster, you guys need to cool it down. Raj, Ram we are your younger brother, its like annoyed younger brother, you are always welcome here as we are there, I am sure.
@Lobster:
We are always concerned about our dear cousin's (Pakistan's) well being.
Our land is also a failed land.
@Lobster: Do you really want to know, why??? Well imagine having a neighbour, whose home catches fire and that fire can spread or cause mayhem and damage to ohers in the neighbourhood !!!! So what would you do, in that situation ??/ Sit there twiddling your fingers or at least be prepared to contain the spread, knowing the fact that the neighbour has fire engines but no water !!!!!
@Lobster - Yes. Indians are trolling on a Pakistani newspaper to defend / correct all the hatred and false news spread against India
@Raj: And the Indians are not at all obsessed with Pakistan? Dozens of them trolling here on a Pakistani newspaper website is a solid proof.
@antanu: Because they too have obsession with India, just like every sphere of society !!!!
Why the Pakistan media is always insisting on an Indian parameter in every field?
why do u compare with India ? In orange productivity , India stands at 64th position , though in over ,India iall production s at 3rd . India's productivity is very less as compared to world .
This must be a RAW/MOSSAD/CIA conspiracy.
Though your yield is less than India, we are not satisfied. We want to open up retail sector for foreign direct investments by walmart, Tesco, etc. That would help our farmers to get better technology, improve productivity, efficiency in supply chain, wastage reduction, avoidance of middlemen, etc. This would enable our consumers to get better qualify product at cheaper prices that would bring down inflation.May be Pakistan government should do a similar thing
why compare with India? They are light years ahead of us in every field. This is laughable.
As an indian,my primary concern is pesticides/chemicals/spiking fruits with chemicals to make it look good,which has been happening in recent years. If pakistan focused consciously on organic vegetables/fruits, despite lower yield (use cow dung manure,no chemicals,pesticides,etc) I would gladly pay a premium for organic fruits if MFN allowed them to be sold in india. The way to go/differentiate yourself is by consciously putting out a superior product.
Per acre yield is compared to India because they have the similar climate and lot of common factors. It is not surprising that Indian per acre yield is much higher in wheat and other important crops as well. If we want a fair comparison then we should compare Pakistani Punjab with the Indian Punjab. The fruits of democracy and education are obvious no matter what we say. It is strange that some do not stop praising military rule but what kind of progress have we made when we have half the per acre yield compared to even India?
JuD should organize protests against land yielding 1/2 than that of India, in Pakistan.
Why do we have to compare everything with India????? Why can't we set our own standards? If we don't let go off our India obsession, we are doomed.