Orchardists and officials in the state horticulture dept said the average farm gate price of the fruit is ₹6 to ₹11 per kg, which was expected to be ₹20 per kg
A bumper crop of kinnow in Punjab exposes the lack of food processing and marketing avenues. Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited is attempting to process kinnows into juice, but most growers still struggle with market forces. The state government needs to focus on processing and registering kinnow plant nurseries.
Around 13.5 lakh metric ton of kinnow is expected from this season (from November to March) in Punjab, sources in Horticulture department said. Last year 12 lakh metric ton of kinnow had come in the market.
Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited general manager Ranbir Singh said the Punjab Agro’s initiatives to process kinnows in the liquor and juice sectors are aimed at boosting the economy of citrus fruit growers as the low-grade fruits will have a market and they may earn well. The in-house team of the agency is soon launching two variants of kinnow juice mixed with beetroot and carrots, he added.