Kinnows

The harvest of kinnows, the citrus fruit, a hybrid between king (Citrus nobilis) and willowleaf (Citrus deliciosa) mandarins, is likely to witness a drop of about 50% due to many issues, including the early summer that hit Punjab in March.

Details –

• Fazilka in Punjab is known for the best-quality kinnow.
• The fruit is grown on about 2.5 lakh acres in the district.
• Trees and orchards on about 50,000 acres have been estimated as destroyed in the district alone. The trees and orchards have dried up in this area. The reason is polluted canal water. Groundwater cannot be used for kinnow.
• Canal water is polluted with chemicals from factories.

Difference between an orange and kinnow –

When it comes to the taste, kinnow is juicier than orange and has more sour taste, orange tastes sweeter. They also differ a lot biologically. While orange is a hybrid of Citrus reticulate and Citrus maxima, kinnow on the other hand is a hybrid of Citrus deliciosa and Citrus nobilis.