[ Prafulla Kaman ]
PASIGHAT, 29 Oct: Orange production in Lower Dibang Valley district’s Dambuk subdivision has seen a sharp decline this year due to reason(s) yet to be ascertained by scientists.
The orange cultivators say that many matured trees in the orchards are either dying or drying up and their leaves are turning yellow, affecting the production of fruits.
Former minister and progressive farmer Roding Pertin, who attended a farmers’ training programme at the College of Agriculture & Forestry (CHF) here in East Siang district, said that orange production in Dambuk has been witnessing a declining trend for the last couple of years.
Pertin invited horticulture scientists of the CHF to conduct a field visit to the affected orange orchards.
CHF Dean Dr BN Hazarika, Fruit Science Head Prof L Wangcho and others have taken the matter seriously and assured the farmers that they would look into it.
Dr Hazarika suggested to the growers to apply the practical knowledge gained from the training. He also asked them to remain in contact with the CHF scientists for necessary help in cultivation and garden management.
The three-day training programme on management practices of citrus fruits conducted by the CHF concluded on Friday evening.
The former minister along with 23 farmers from Dambuk attended the training programme.
The climatic condition of Dambuk area in the sub-Himalayan region is highly feasible for cultivation of orange and other citrus fruit and is considered the orange bowl of the state.
The oranges produced in Dambuk are exported to different countries.
Orange is cultivated on around 12,000 hectares of land in Dambuk subdivision, and around 50 to 60 mt fruits are produced every year.
