Wholesale prices dip, kinnow growers worried

Traders’ cartel, lack of state marketing policy to blame for poor returns

Muktsar has 5,500 hectare under kinnow cultivation. file photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, December 6

Kinnow growers in the region are facing a crisis as the prices have touched a new low of Rs 7-8 per kg on an average in wholesale markets due to the lack of a marketing policy.

Last year, the produce was sold at Rs 11 per kg.

“The size and quality of kinnow is good, but it is fetching low prices in wholesale market as compared to the last year. A cartel of traders is one of the reasons behind it. They have pooled and fixed the price, which is causing loss to orchardists,” said Narinderjit Singh Sidhu, assistant director, Horticulture, Muktsar.

He said the non-functioning of a juice plant at Abohar was a reason behind the low prices. “The fruit is ready and the fluctuation in day and night temperature is resulting into the dropping of fruit. The growers can’t store kinnows, so they have to bring it to the market thus a glut-like situation has become and it has reduced the price, which should have been more than Rs 10 per kg,” he said.

Balwinder Singh Tikka, a horticulturist from Abul Khurana village in Muktsar district, who has been crowned as Kinnow King by the state government, said, “The state government must make a marketing policy for fruits, especially kinnow, otherwise fruit growers will continue to become victims in the hands of traders.”

He said the good quality of kinnow was still fetching Rs 20 per kg and that too in the wholesale market. “If we calculate the average price of the fruit, it would be below Rs 10 per kg in the wholesale market,” Tikka said.

He said due to the problem of waterlogging, some kinnow growers were also uprooting their orchards in Muktsar, Abohar and Fazilka areas. “The government must protect their interests. Even a number of people are daily calling me to seek tips to save their orchards,” he said.

Mohit Setia, a kinnow grower, said, “This year, we were expecting to cover the last year’s loss. But, the situation remains the same. The prices are low in the beginning of the season, giving signs of worries.”

Courtesy: The Tribune