Agricultural scientists working on the mass production of seedless kinnow fruit in Pakistan have indicated that large-scale production and export of the variety is likely to begin next year.
The news comes after more than a decade of research and development, crossing varieties such as kinnow and salustiana for early maturity, lower seed number and lower acid content, agricultural expert Hafeez-ur-Rehman told the Pakistan Times.
'Seedless varieties of mandarin (kinnow) have been developed at the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology and the Citrus Institute, Sargodha,' Mr Rehman, a scientist at the National Agriculture Research Centre, told the publication.
And, according to Mr Rehman, the news that seedless varieties are nearly ready for production and shipping would make a number of European markets sit up and take notice.
'Once the seedless varieties start brining fruit, it will help generate precious and much-needed foreign exchange for the country, as it will attract the attention of western markets where people otherwise don't prefer kinnows due to their seeds,' he noted.
Mr Rehman said he hoped the seedless kinnow variety would enhance the fruit's popularity overseas, with Pakistani immigrants currently the fruit's largest consumer base.
