The influx of locally grown fresh oranges in markets across Assam, including Guwahati, coupled with supplies from major orange-producing states, underscores the significance of this cash crop in the northeast region. A major obstacle to increasing orange production in the region is the heavy reliance on pre-harvest contractors and traders for marketing, which restricts profitability. Despite being the third-largest global orange producer after Brazil and China, with approximately 6 million tons of production, India exports a fraction of its total production.
Data from the Agriculture and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) on kinnow/mandarin/orange production reveals that Assam contributes 3.34% to the country's total production, while Arunachal Pradesh contributes 1.08%. Madhya Pradesh tops the list with a 32.89% share, followed by Punjab at 18.80%, and Maharashtra at 15.76%. Rajasthan and Haryana, contributing 10.44% and 9.62% respectively, also rank among the top five orange and kinnow-producing states.
This data also clarifies why the regional markets are saturated with supplies from these states and the potential for enhancing local production. Bangladesh is a primary orange export destination. However, a 20% regulatory duty on oranges, which elevated the total tax incidence (TTI) on the fruit from 89.32% to 93.8%, has impacted exports.
Source: www.sentinelassam.com
