Punjab to bring 10 lakh acre land under citrus cultivation

Jalandhar, Nov 9 (UNI) With an ambitious goal of increasing farmers income two to three folds, the Punjab Government has set a target to bring 10 lakh acre area of Punjab under citrus fruits cultivation by 2015.

The ambitious programme is undertaken with an aim to diversify farmers from traditional wheat-paddy cycle to more beneficial cash crops with less consumption of water, Punjab State Council for Citrus Development and Research spokesman told reporters at Jallowal near here yesterday.

He said as many as 32 variety of citrus sapplings with high yield and 16 variety of root stock had been imported from the United States for propagation of sapplings at the council's research farms at Jallowal. These sapplings are supplied to farmers for contract farming with full technical and marketing support.

He said that 200 acre area had already been brought under cultivation of these improved and high yield varieties and by March next year this area is expected to go up to 2000 acres.

In additional to this, presently around 40,000 acre area in the state was under cultivation of traditional citrus fruit varities including Kinnows.

He said that diversification from wheat-paddy cycle to this alternative farming would not only ensure recharging and restoration of the groundwater table but it would also enhance the profitability of the growers.

He said that a farmer who generally earned Rs 20,000 per acre per year from wheat-paddy crop and Rs 40,000 per acres from vegetable farming could get up to Rs 60,000 per acre from citrus fruit cultivation.

Moreover, this would be a long term project as a citrus plant which start bearing fruits at age of 7-8 years would give yield till 30 to 32 years, he added.

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