Citrus festival, a two-day State level workshop and exhibition for promotion of citrus fruits in Uttarakhand ended on Sunday. The workshop was organised under joint aegis of State Horticulture Mission and Uttarakhand horticulture marketing council.
Speaking in the technical session the senior scientist at Central citrus fruit research Institute, Nagpur, Dr RK Sonekar said that these plants needed to be drenched at least once a year to protect them from diseases.
He elaborated upon production, plant safety and other aspects of citrus farming. The Scientist at Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (IISWC), Dehradun, Dr Avinash Chander Rathore said that citrus plants need special care for adequate soil nutrient level and irrigation so these factors are needed to be addressed at the time of planting these trees. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Uttarakhand Horticulture Marketing Council, RC Srivastava explained the post harvest management of citrus fruits.
He said that these fruit need special care in transportation and packaging. Srivastava said that a little carelessness can cause major loss to the producers. The district Horticulture officer Pithoragarh Meenakshi Joshi made a presentation on ‘Citrus fruit- An Indian perspective’ on the occasion.
At the end of technical session, the director Horticulture B S Negi answered many queries of participants. large number of scientists, horticulturists and farmers participated in the workshop and exhibition.