ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/11/07 1 June 2007
Australian citrus team to work with the Department of Agriculture, Bhutan, to improve mandarin production
Citrus farmers in Bhutan, constrained by poor orchard management, pest and disease problems, will benefit from a new four year project commencing in June 2007 investigating ways to increase citrus yields and fruit quality. The collaborative project funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Centre for International Research (ACIAR) will involve both Australian and Bhutanese scientists from the NSW DPI and the Bhutan ministry of agriculture as well as several other citrus, plant protection and horticultural researchers.
A major thrust of the ACIAR program in Bhutan is to improve the productivity and profitability of citrus production, Bhutan’s largest horticultural export industry. “Targeting collaborative research toward citrus production will provide many of Bhutan’s poorest farmers with the technology and resources to lift yields and incomes from their fruit trees, providing them with more money for food, education, medical expenses and other essential costs of living” said Australian High Commissioner to Bhutan, Mr John McCarthy.
Citrus production in Bhutan accounts for 13% of all agricultural production and is the countries most significant horticultural crop. While the total volume of citrus produced is relatively small (just 35,000 tonnes) approximately 66% of Bhutan’s population are involved in citrus production. Income from citrus growing provides a significant income for the 32% of Bhutan’s population that live on under AUD$32 per month. High Commissioner McCarthy said, “Finding ways to provide farmers with a reliable income is one of the first steps towards poverty alleviation in Bhutan”.
The Bhutanese government has set a target of 100,000 tonnes for export to be attained in the next 5 years, a significant increase on the 24,000 tonnes currently exported. This is a theoretically achievable target which is constrained by production issues. Previous ACIAR research identified the major constraints to increasing the yields of citrus orchards in Bhutan were poor orchard management and the lack of control of Chinese Fruit Fly and the psyllid vector of Citrus Greening Disease.
Improvements in mandarin productivity will be achieved through the establishment and use of healthy nursery trees and in showcasing best management practices on demonstration orchards. Practices such as pruning, pest and disease control strategies, irrigation, nutrition and crop management practices and harvesting techniques will be demonstrated. This project will also build on previous ACIAR research in Bhutan on the control of Chinese fruit flies in citrus.
In addition, the project will also focus on improving the capacity of both research and extension staff from the Department of Agriculture, Bhutan, through on site training in both Bhutan and Australia, management of the demonstration sites and the provision of training and resource material.
ACIAR is committed to not only raising mandarin yields, but also to enhancing the capacity of Bhutanese scientists to continue this work and further enhance incomes of farmers in this country. Working together, experts from both our countries can share knowledge and expertise to achieve positive outcomes for farmers here.
For further information, please contact Dr Kuhu Chatterjee, Regional Manager, ACIAR, South Asia, on +91 98103 50810.