Kinnow Growers Seek Say In Citrus Rates

SARGODHA,Nov 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 08th Nov, 2016 ) : The kinnow growers here have urged concerned authorities to formulate an effective mechanism for deciding fair rates of their produce,saying there was need to break the monopoly of citrus exporters and factory owners in the division.

The growers said that Sargodha district,being the largest market of kinnow production, has a lot of processing plants for which the government introduced incentives and opportunities.However,they said the growers still await incentives and attention in this regard.

Agriculture department's official seeking anonymity said that all the stake holders should join hands to present some criteria for devising reasonable rates so that farmers could be given appropriate rates.

Growers alleged that the factory owners decide kinnow rates without considering efforts of growers in producing quality citrus.

A grower,Shahbaz said that kinnow rates should be decided by the growers to provide relief to small farmers.He said that demand of kinnow was increasing day by day, but the rates were like previous years.

Another farmer,Khalid lamented that he never received proper rates of his orchard and now he was removing his kinnow plants to be replaced by peach plants and other crops.He hoped that "best price" could be received from his new farm.

He alleged that factory owners make actual profit after giving small amounts to growers. The citrus experts here said that product rates should be decided after consultation with farmers,exporters and processors ,adding that there is dire need to sign some new contracts with the foreign markets for receiving best prices.