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Shillong: A group of orange farmers in the Kasi hills region of southwestern Meghalaya state on Friday exported 2,000 kg of citrus fruit to Doha and Bahrain in the United Arab Emirates, an official said.
This is the second export of sweet oranges known as Khasi Mandarin from the northeastern state this year.
Earlier this month, farmers in Jirang, Ri-Bhoi district, had exported oranges to Dubai.
“Farmers of the Ardong Phlangwar Organic Producer Cooperative Society Ltd in the remote south-western region of the Khasi Hills export GI-labeled Khasi mandarins to Doha and Bahrain,” Durga Sohtun, Director of the Horticultural Department, told PTI.
The oranges came from at least 18 villages spread over 500 hectares in a group of 500 members, she said.
The unit is facilitating exports and connecting buyers and importers, she said, with Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group International operating in at least 23 countries around the world.
APOC chairman Brilliant Syiemiong said that in the near future, the farmers’ organization is considering exporting other local organic products such as black pepper and other spices from the region.
According to the department, kassis are distinguished from other citrus varieties by their relatively loose peel and the relative ease with which the individual parts separate.
The state is considered the world’s major genetic center for citrus varieties, the most famous of which is Khasi Mandarin, known as “Soh niamtra” (king of oranges) for its sweet taste, Sohtun said.
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