ISLAMABAD, Dec 23 (APP): The Citrus Research Institute (CRI) Sargodha has begun developing seedless and pigmented kinnow varieties to better meet global market demand, marking a major shift in Punjab\u2019s citrus improvement efforts.<\/p>\n
Punjab has 358,000 acres under citrus cultivation, with expected production for the current season estimated at 3.3 million metric tons.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current varietal spectrum is not fully aligned with international market demand, as it remains heavily dependent on traditional seedy kinnow,\u201d said Dr. Akbar Hayat Saggu, Director of CRI Sargodha.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, Dr. Saggu said the institute is currently working on pigmented and seedless kinnow varieties that enjoy strong global demand. He said international buyers prefer seedless, easy-peeling and high-quality mandarin types, whereas most citrus varieties grown in Pakistan lack these characteristics.<\/p>\n
Pakistan\u2019s citrus landscape is dominated by kinnow \u2014 a mandarin hybrid often containing around 20 seeds \u2014 along with other varieties including Musambi, Valencia Late oranges, Succri, Ruby Red, Eureka and Lisbon lemons, and Kaghzi limes, primarily cultivated across Punjab, particularly in Sargodha.<\/p>\n
Dr. Saggu said climate change has placed substantial stress on kinnow production in Punjab, as rising temperatures, irregular rainfall and intensified pest and disease pressure have reduced yields. Heat stress during flowering and inconsistent winter patterns have affected fruit set and quality.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to take care of both international trends and the climate-related issues presently affecting kinnow orchards,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that persistent smog in Punjab has also impacted kinnow production by reducing the sunlight required for photosynthesis, slowing tree growth and weakening fruit development. Smog traps pollutants that reduce plant vigor and increase susceptibility to diseases.<\/p>\n
According to Dr. Saggu, around 100 citrus varieties are currently cultivated in Pakistan, with an additional 70 varieties being imported for research and development. However, imported varieties cannot be exported without breeder agreements due to intellectual property restrictions.<\/p>\n
Citrus exporters believe Pakistan urgently needs new, competitive citrus varieties for the international market. \u201cWe can\u2019t compete with countries like China, Turkey and Mediterranean countries with the existing decades-old kinnow varieties,\u201d said Waheed Ahmad, Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association.<\/p>\n
He said Pakistani kinnow exports have declined to 250,000 tons from 550,000 tons over the last five years due to shorter shelf life and excessive seeds. \u201cShipments to Russia take at least one month. The current kinnow varieties do not have that much shelf life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ahmad noted that Pakistani scientists should have introduced at least three to four new citrus varieties by now to help the country remain competitive in the global market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Dec 23 (APP): The Citrus Research Institute (CRI) Sargodha has begun developing seedless and pigmented kinnow varieties to better meet global market demand, marking a major shift in Punjab\u2019s citrus improvement efforts. Punjab has 358,000 acres under citrus cultivation, with expected production for the current season estimated at 3.3 million metric tons. \u201cThe current…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[422],"tags":[1109],"class_list":["post-31879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan","tag-punjab-starts-work-on-seedless-and-pigmented-kinnow-varieties"],"yoast_head":"\n