Seed Marketing News

Rajasthan To Market Orange Under The Brand ‘Raj Santra'.

The Horticulture Department is looking for a project to market orange from the state under the brand, 'Raj Santra'. According to principal secretary (agriculture & horticulture) Neelkamal Darbari, The Kota division contributes 98% of the produce from the state which is known as 'Nagpur orange'. While the majority of the fruit produced here are Nagpur varieties, the state is exploring the possibility of introducing new varieties such as Jaffa, Valencia and Daisy.

According to the agriculture & horticulture department, With the Kota division strong in orange production (Jhalawar district is the largest producer in the state), there is immense potential for packaging and branding operations of the locally-sourced fruit as well.

The climate is suitable for orange orchards. The centre is currently working on developing as many as 24 varieties of citrus fruits. Spread over 6.8 hectares, the primary objective of the centre is to develop citrus fruit saplings. Clementine, Michale Daisy, Kinnow, Nagpur Mandarin, Nagpur Seedless and Jaffa are among the varieties being developed by the centre.

Plant development and orchard management of these fruits are based on Israeli technology such as mulch, drip and ridge-bed system for irrigation.

Within a short span of time the Centre has grafted 50,000 plants. It has largely achieved its objective of producing disease-free and high-quality plants. It is also doing its bit to create new varieties of citrus fruits suitable for export in the global market.

The centre also aims to promote mechanization of orchard operations. The development of intensive horticulture technologies, spreading awareness about post-harvest and value-addition technologies, fertigation and irrigation management techniques are its long-term goals.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/