Solution to the Declining Production and Quality of Kinnow Due to Climate Change Effects

It is widely acknowledged, both in Pakistan and around the world, that the best Kinnow come from Sargodha. However, it may surprise many to learn that the Kinnow was not originally cultivated in Sargodha but in the state of California, USA. In the 1930s, agricultural scientist H.B. Frost from the University of California Riverside developed the orange by crossbreeding two citrus fruits, ‘King’ and ‘willow leaf,’ from the ‘Citrus family.’ The first Kinnow plants were gifted to Pakistan by the United States in 1960 under the Pakistan-US friendship program and were planted at the Agricultural University of Faisalabad. These plants were then distributed across various districts of Punjab, but it was the oranges cultivated in Sargodha that became famous for their exceptional taste and quality. However, after more than six decades, Sargodha’s Kinnow now face the threat of extinction due to the increasing effects of climate change and the intensity of smog. To address this issue, Climate Call spoke with Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, the former Vice Chancellor of the Agricultural University of Faisalabad. Not only is Dr. Khan a graduate of the University of California Riverside, but he has also played a leading role in research on citrus in Pakistan. Furthermore, he is actively involved in the Punjab government’s proposed project to revive the citrus industry. Dr. Khan’s expertise and contributions are key to finding sustainable solutions to protect the citrus industry and counter the adverse effects of climate change.