TOBA TEK SINGH: Kinnow growers in the district are enjoying the sweet harvest in monetary terms as the per acre yield of the fruit is much better this year than it was in the last two years.

During the last two years, the kinnow farmers and traders faced financial losses because of the fact that the per acre yield remained low and they could not sell it at a profitable price. And the reason, according to orchard owners and kinnow traders, was that the government did not take interest in exporting it to the countries where Pakistan’s kinnow was in demand.

The traders had been forced to sell it at throwaway prices by picking it early and even without packing. The rate somewhat increased in the last days of the produce last year because of what traders said, shortage of the product in the market.

This year the kinnow orchard owners and traders are not only packing it in wooden crates but also having it graded after washing and polishing from the factories. Many factories have been sent up here during the last one decade to enhance the value of the fruit and add to its shelf-life, making it attractive for the customers.

Rana Muhammad Shahid (a resident of Chak 391 JB, Kanthan), whose family has six kinnow grading factories and gets contract from dozens of orchards every year, says fog, severe cold and untimely closure of canals for more than one and-a-half months affected the orchards but still the production remained much better than it was in the last two years.

He says both farmers and traders have earned a decent profit and they are now sending their produce to Karachi, Quetta and Hyderabad. The fruit juice factories, he says, have also started their purchases under the impression that orchards will be emptied much earlier than expected due to high prices.

A kinnow trader, Muhammad Naeem, says trucks are available at higher fares of Rs35,000 for Quetta and Rs40,000 for Karachi (due to diesel cost) to supply the fruit to the markets. Besides, he says, export to Malaysia and Arab countries is in progress and a crate containing 60 to 80 kinnow of B grade is sold at Rs700 or more while 50-kinnow crate of A grade is sold at Rs800 or more at Karachi and Quetta markets -- almost double the prices than these were last year.

Agriculture department’s Deputy Director Chaudhry Nisar Ahmad Mahmood said Toba Tek Singh district was next to Sargodha in kinnow production and the taste of local fruit was unique.

He said severe cold had sweetened the taste of the kinnow and farmers were getting good profit due to its high price.

He said the district had kinnow orchards spread over more than 50,000 acres and the news of good profit had given confidence to farmers who had contacted his department for consultation regarding plantation of the fruit.

RAID: Gojra revenue tehsildar Hafiz Iqbal Mahmood Kathia on Sunday raided a grocery shop godown in the grain market and recovered 300 bags of sugar (50kg each) allegedly hoarded for selling on high rates.

Officials told the media that the Special Branch police reported to the assistant commissioner about hoarding. A team conducted the raid and sealed the godown whose owner managed to escape.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2020