Islamabad, Dec15: Pakistan is currently grappling with a cold wave, but oranges, the hallmark fruit of winter, remain conspicuously absent from markets.
Experts link this scarcity to climate change, which has drastically reduced citrus production, slashed exports and limiting choices for local consumers.
This year, kinnow production is projected to drop by 35%, attributed to smog and fog, while the delayed onset of cold weather has negatively affected the quality and taste of oranges, diminishing their market appeal.
Agricultural specialists highlighted that the 60-year-old citrus variety cultivated in Pakistan is ill-equipped to withstand modern diseases and extreme weather, resulting in substantial production losses.
Waheed Ahmed, head of the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, stressed that climate change has severely impacted orange production. He noted that the lack of new, climate-resilient varieties has exacerbated the crisis, leading to the closure of half the country’s citrus processing factories. Without the urgent introduction of resilient varieties, experts warn that production may plummet further, potentially halting citrus exports entirely.
Remarkably, Pakistan was a leading orange exporter just a few years ago, achieving a record in 2020-21 by exporting 460,000 tonnes of oranges—the highest in a single season.
