Pakistan Producing Best Quality Citrus Fruits; Modern Marketing Can Boost Forex: Expert

Pakistan is producing best quality citrus fruits which can potentially earn more foreign exchange but efficient marketing is a pre-requisite

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Nov, 2020 ) :Pakistan is producing best quality citrus fruits which can potentially earn more foreign exchange but efficient marketing is a pre-requisite.

According to Mudassar Abbas Deputy Director Research Information Unit Faisalabad, citrus fruits are an important source of earning foreign exchange from around the world . " Pakistan is one of the top ten fruits producing countries in the world. However, it has achieved a hallmark after introducing seedless orange, grapefruit and Kinnow. Its fresh fruits are an innovation but our farmers are unaware of the importance of citrus fruits due to which they lose their citrus fruit during harvesting and while shifting it to the market".

Most of the loss of citrus fruits is due to gardeners' unfamiliarity with important issues like harvesting and grading as most of the orchards are handed over to the contractors who either pick the fruit very early or leave it on the tree for too long which affects physical maturity and commercial value of the fruit.

"When the farmers pick the fruit very early, it remains small in size and due to its green color and lack of external attractiveness, it cannot get a fair price in the market.

This type of fruit also reduces the export volume while juice quantity in late harvested fruit is also less and it also witnesses an unpleasant change in the taste because its stalks become dry and the fruit lacks the proper combination of sweetness and sourness", he explained.

Spokesman of University of Agriculture Faisalabad said that the farmers should use cutter or pliers for harvesting citrus fruits safely.The farmers should adopt latest technology for harvesting fruits and shifting to market.

Responding to a question, he said farmers should grade the fruits after plucking them from source. "Grading is done on a fruit mat or conveyor belt in the factories and all the fruits are divided into different groups or grades. For this distribution size of fruit, disease free status, clean and strong skin and color etc. are taken into consideration".

"The farmers should classify their produce and send it to the market, otherwise all the grades if put in one basket do not fetch right price in the fruit market".

The Kinnow exporters should make high quality "food grade packaging" and introduce their brand namein the global market.