A prolonged dry spell in the Nurpur and Indora subdivisions of Kangra district in India is affecting growth and juice development in orange and kinnow crops. The area, often referred to as mini-Nagpur for its citrus production, has yet to receive winter showers. Growers report concerns over fruit size, reduced sweetness, and financial impact if rainfall does not occur in the coming weeks.
The lack of moisture is delaying normal fruit development. Horticulture experts note that citrus decline disease has been present in the region for several years, reducing overall production and affecting fruit size. Growers say recent winters without rainfall have compounded the trend.
Orange and kinnow cultivation covers about 3,700 hectares in the lower Kangra region. Growers, including Sudarshan Sharma, Upinder Singh, Subhash Singh, and Babu Ram, report that winter dry spells are affecting orchards. Most kinnow production in Nurpur depends on rainfall rather than irrigation. According to the Horticulture Department, Kangra district has 37,878 hectares under fruit, with 21,245 hectares planted to mango and 10,967 hectares to citrus. The district produced about 20,000 metric tons of citrus last year.
Growers state that successive governments have not established policy measures to support citrus cultivation in the region despite the crop's potential to provide employment. Mukesh Sharma, a grower in Nurpur, says citrus decline has reduced fruit production in recent years and caused financial losses. Another grower, Karam Chand, says adverse climatic conditions in the sub-tropical zone are discouraging growers from maintaining orchards, particularly mango, kinnow, and orange.
Producers say juice and sweetness levels in kinnow are low this season due to the absence of rainfall, with the risk that fruit quality could decline further if dry conditions persist.
Source: The Tribune
