West Bengal is working towards co-ordinating with researchers and experts from foreign countries, including the US, Iran, Nepal and Bhutan, to tackle the problem of drastic fall in production of the famous Darjeeling oranges due to the Dieback disease.
Darjeeling mandarin oranges are grown only in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal. Dieback disease has continuously been causing a decrease in the production of this variety of oranges every year.
“We are organising a workshop in Kalimpong on February 3 and 4 on mandarin oranges. In the workshops researchers and experts from foreign countries will join. While experts from Nepal and Bhutan will join physically, two top experts from Florida, USA, will participate in the workshop virtually. One expert from Iran is also joining the event virtually,” Directorate of Cinchona and other Medicinal Plant’s director Samuel Rai told businessline.
Learning the tricks
The Directorate of Cinchona and other Medicinal Plant, situated in Mangpoo, is under West Bengal’s Department of Food Processing Industries and Horticulture.
“Same kind of mandarin oranges are grown in Darjeeling, Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan. And we all have the severe problem of Dieback disease. But we don’t have any co-ordination with any of the institutes. So, we don’t know how they are managing it. The idea of having this workshop is to learn how others are managing it. If their management techniques are good and work for us, then we would like to take their technologies to our farmers,” Rai said.
Around 10,000 farmers are engaged in the cultivation of mandarin oranges in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.
Over the years, the total area under cultivation of Darjeeling mandarin oranges has declined in the State due to the Dieback disease. Production of this variety of oranges has been witnessing a fall also due to pest attacks, shortage of quality saplings and reduction in fertility of the soil, among others.
The State Government has said it would be taking necessary measures to arrest the fall in production of the famous Darjeeling oranges.
In order to address the issue, Directorate of Cinchona and other Medicinal Plant is planning to produce quality disease-free planting materials. Government officials are talking to the farmers for rejuvenation of existing orange orchards.