Rain eases water woes of kinnow growers in Malwa

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 23

Fresh rainfall in the region has left cotton and paddy growers worried, but kinnow growers are rejoicing as they claim that rain will help increase the size of the fruit.

Some kinnow growers from Muktsar and Fazilka districts said the fruit was almost at its ripening stage, but due to the dry spell its size was a bit small.

“Now, if the rainfall remains normal and doesn’t inundate the fields, it will increase the size of the fruit. However, if speedy winds start blowing, it may cause some damage to the fruit. As of now, the prevailing weather is good for the fruit,” said Balwinder Singh Tikka, state awardee kinnow grower from Abul Khurana village in Muktsar district.

Similarly, advocate Mohit Setia, a kinnow grower from Sappanwali village in Fazilka district, said, “So far, rain is good for the fruit. It will help in watering those plants, which were earlier drying due to shortage of canal water. Further, this is the purest form of water and more beneficial for the fruit. The fruit picking season will start in mid November, so if there is any kind of loss due to rain it can be covered in a month.”

Some kinnow traders said they were also expecting good fruit this year. “The fruit is by and large not affected from any disease and is expected to fetch a good price,” they claimed.

Meanwhile, some paddy growers said the rain would cause damage to the growing crop.

“At present, rain is not accompanied by wind. But still there is loss to the crop and if the wind starts blowing, it will flatten the crop,” said Ranjeet Singh, a paddy grower from Gurusar village in Gidderbaha.

He added that the normal variety of paddy crop would ripen in 20 days. However, the basmati crop will take more time.