'Pakistan Times' Business & Commerce Desk
ISLAMABAD: The production and export of
seedless kinnow (mandarin) is likely to
begin from next year as the agriculture
scientists have been focusing on multiple
the cultivation of such varieties.
“Seedless varieties of mandarin have been
developed in Nuclear Institute for
Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) and Citrus
Research Institute (CRI), Sargodha,” says
Agriculture Scientist at National
Agriculture Research Center (NARC),
Hafeez-ur-Rehman.
In addition, he said that breeding for
seedless kinnow was also done at University
of Agriculture, Faislabad and NARC. The work
for developing mandarin hybrid was started
in 1999 he said adding that crosses were
made between Kinnow and Salustiana for early
maturity less number of seeds and lower acid
contents as compared to kinnow.
The process after going through various
developments and modifications ultimately
culminated in producing a seedless mandarin
type. He said that these seedless mandarin
varieties are being multiplied for further
distribution among the farmers and expressed
the hope that the production would start
from 2011.
He said that with the production of seedless
kinnow varieties, country’s exports would be
multiplied and it would attract the European
markets. “Once the seedless variety starts
bringing fruits it would help generate
precious and much needed foreign exchange
for the country as it would attract
attention of western markets where people
otherwise don’t prefer kinnows due to
seeds,” Hafiz said.
He said that at present the kinnow exports
of the country are mainly consumed by
Pakistani immigrants living abroad and the
seedless variety would make it famous among
the locals also. Kinnow is the major export
item among citrus types, however its export
share in the world market is as low as 1.4
percent.
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