Introduction to Citrus in Pakistan and List of Local Varieties
INTRODUCTION Citrus are the fruits belonging to the Rutacease family and mostly from the genus Citrus which are usually mix of sweet and acidic fruits. They are widely cultivated fruits in the world with areas under cultivation and production increasing greatly from 2000 - 2010. Citrus is ranked world number 2 1st in Pakistan w.r.t its area and production among fruits. There is a huge demand from both the fresh and processed oranges by the consumer. Citrus varieties PRODUCTION STATS According to FAO, Brazil is the largest producer of citrus in the world, followed by China and USA, data for Pakistan is not available. In Pakistan, it is cultivated its 95% area of cultivation is in Punjab because of favorable temperature and environmental conditions and the total production according to approx. 1.8 annually on an estimated area of 194,000 ha with the per acre yield standing at 4.6 tons. IMPORTANCE AND USES a) S weet orange, mandarin and grapefruit are eaten fresh or processed f...