Abstract

As in the case of most other Indian fruits, the Indian Citrus industry is full of anomalies intrinsic in any unorganised growth. To the outside world, India is not known as an important citrus producing country and has been classed as outside the ideal citrus growing belt. Actually, however, India produces about as much citrus as Spain, the leading citrus exporting country in the world; and from point of average production per acre is perhaps next in importance to only the United States of America, South Africa and perhaps one or two other countries. The Presidency of Madras alone has an area of over 20,000 acres, which is about equal to the pre-war citrus acreage in Palestine, one of the leading citrus producing countries. Almost the same area is believed to be under this fruit in the Bombey Presi- dency, Central Provinces, Coorg and Mysore. If to these are added the area in Assam, the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, the United Provin- ces, Orissa and lower Himalayan ranges including Nepal and Sikkim, the total area is expected to be well over 100,000 acres which is certainly not an inconsiderable figure as compared to the chief citrus producing countries of the world.

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