Khasi orange threatened by imported saplings

Shillong, Dec 22 : The identity of Meghalaya’s Khasi Mandarin, also locally known as Sohniamtra Khasi, is under threat due to the import of orange saplings from outside the state.

Khasi Mandarin, a variety of orange from Wahkhen village and the famous orange grown in remote Mawphu and Nongsteng villages under Sohra in East Khasi Hill district, was few years ago certified by the Union Ministry of Horticulture as the best in India and is considered to be even better than the Nagpur orange.

Orange grown in the southern belt of Khasi Hills such as Mawphu, Nongsteng are of good quality and because of that they are juicy, sweet and tasty.

'' We came to know that orange growers in Meghalaya, mostly those from Ri-Bhoi district have been buying orange saplings from outside the state without realising the danger posed by such saplings to the identity of our own variety,'' horticulture director Dr C O Rangad told reporters today on the sidelines of the Orange Festival held at Sohra.

Dr Rangad said, the orange growers were tempted to buy saplings from other places outside Meghalaya because of lesser price compared to good quality saplings being supplied by the state's horticulture department.

'' The price of one sapling from outside is between Re 1 and Rs 3.But the price of sapling grown in Meghalaya costs Rs 7.50p. This is a worrying trend and our farmers should realise that the mixture of saplings from within the state and outside is a major threat to the identity of our own variety being posed by such cheap saplings that they get from outside,'' Dr Rangad said.

He also said that the famous Khasi Mandarin and other variety of oranges being grown in various parts of the state are under attack by pests.

The 13th Finance Commission has recently awarded Rs 30 crore to Meghalaya for setting up of two planting material hubs for different types of horticultural saplings including orange - one in East Khasi Hills and another in East Garo Hills district.

''Out of 30 crore, Rs 5 crore will be utilised for orange saplings since the government want to encourage orange growers in the state to buy saplings from outside,'' Dr Rangad informed.

However, orange growers from Mawphu, the village in Sohra area widely known for producing the best variety of orange known as Khasi Mandarin said, they have never imported cheap saplings available from outside the state for planting in their orchards.

Despite the potential in orange production, the village is yet to be connected with road and the orange growers have to physically carry tonnes of orange on foot to bring to Sohra market.