Challenges Confronting Pakistan’s Citrus Sector: Decline in Kinnow Export
Citrus is one of the leading exports of Pakistan. Kinnow, a variety of mandarin, has been its star product for years. However, during. the past few years, the decline in citrus exports has been steep. In FY21, Pakistan exported 558,376 tonnes of citrus valued at $211 million. However, by FY24, these numbers dropped to 322,892 tonnes valued at $91.64 million.
This decline in the citrus sector is related to a number of factors, from reduced orchard areas and lower yields to fruit quality degradation. The area under citrus cultivation declined by 14% between 2018 and 2023, while in Punjab, the citruses heartland of Pakistan, the decline is nearly 15%. With the declining productivity of citrus orchards, farmers. are turning; to more lucrative crops.
Key Challenges Facing Pakistan’s Citrus Industry
Declining Orchard Yields: Citrus yield per acre has decreased to a mere 5.77 tonnes; even the levels in the 1990s are much higher. Poor orchard area. and low yields have made it challenging for Pakistan to sustain its citrus exports.
Poor Fruit Quality: Only 30% of last year’s citrus production met the stringent export standards. Poor management of orchards, pests, diseases, and extreme climatic conditions because of global warming are the major contributors to the decrease in the quality of fruits.
Climate Change and Smog: The length. of Pakistan’s citrus harvesting season has been shortened because of climate change to only the short November to February period, at best overlapping with the harvest of other large citrus-producing countries such as the U.S., China, and Spain, reducing export opportunities. Smog and extreme weather have also reduced fruit quality, further reducing the Pakistani citrus market share.
Increased Cost of Production: Higher input costs and farm gate prices have made Pakistani citrus dearer. For instance, the price of kinnow has surged to Rs3,000-4,000 per 40kg, which is no longer economical for exports, as taxes, freight, and other business costs add up to be costlier.
Role of Government and Possible Remedies
To overcome these problems, the Punjab government has approved Rs1.2 billion for the revival of the citrus sector. This includes the setup of two new citrus research centers at Toba Tek Singh and Layyah. According to experts, this may not be enough. Instead of setting up new research centers, better resources and proper scientists are needed in currently, existing centers to bring significant change.
Key Improvement Areas
Improving Research and Extension Services: The government should concentrate on upgrading, the existing research centers like the Citrus Research Institute at Sargodha. The agricultural extension services should shift to specialized services that would. be offered to citrus farmers on the basis. of specific needs like pest management, irrigation, and harvesting techniques.
Farm training and horticulture There should be full-on training for farmers and other relevant horticulturists of best practices in citrus fruits. agriculture; pest management, modernizing farming techniques, and lots more. These could, therefore, be held and conducted with international experts whereby local farmers are at competitive levels in the world.
Promoting Farm Mechanisation: Since most citrus producers operate on small farms the government should facilitate rental services to farm machinery so that farmers easily, access modern farm machinery, such as tree pruners, and sprayers without massive capital outlay.
To boost productivity, new citrus orchards should be incentivized by planting disease-free high-quality plants. This may be done by establishing nurseries. that are certified, hence the government should establish, and provide incentives in form of finances to the farmers for adopting advanced planting techniques.
Strengthening Export Markets
To increase exports, there is a need for enhanced market access. Currently, Pakistani citrus is exported to less than 40 countries. If Pakistan could sign sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) protocols with countries that have less stringent quarantine requirements, it would increase the country’s access to new markets and enhance the performance of citrus exports.
Conclusion
The future of Pakistan’s citrus industry, particularly kinnow exports, would depend on addressing supply-side challenges and improving international market access. The sector would recover and regain its place as a leading exporter of citrus fruits if the focus is on research, farm mechanization, better training for farmers, and new orchard developments.
