According to experts from the Nagpur-based Central Citrus Research Institute (CCRI), Tripura state orange orchards can be revived if cultivators use scientific methods for upkeep and pest control.
A CCRI team headed by its Director Dilip Kumar Ghosh recently visited Jampui Hills in North Tripura, where around 75-80 of the 200-odd orange farmers in the state are based, and conducted a training program for the cultivators.
State Horticulture Department Director P.B. Jamatia stated last week: “The experts stated that the orange growers in the state have to take the aid of scientific methods to boost their production by regularly nursing the plants and preventing pest infestation.” Many orange trees in the regions have been destroyed due to a lack of manuring, pest infestations and also micro-climatic changes in the Jampui Hills, he added.
Orange production in Jampui Hills has dipped by 35-40 per cent over the years. A rejuvenation program was undertaken in 40 hectares of orange orchards in the region last year, and 20-25 additional hectares will be brought under cultivation, he said. Jamatia said that the horticulture department has been expanding orange cultivation in non-traditional areas such as Kill and Ampi in Gomati district.
