IMPHAL, Jan 8 � Unseasonal rain at the end of last year and other factors have affected lemon cultivation in Manipur�s Kachai village under Ukhrul district, sources said.
Lemons in the Kachai village have been reportedly losing their juicy flavour besides reducing in size.
An Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) team is expected to visit Kachai village during the annual lemon festival. Kachai lemon or citrus jambhiri is famed for its high ascorbic acid content.
Lemon cultivation plays a vital role in the economy of Kachai�s around 350 households since late fifties after one (late) S Paisho sprinkled three seeds at Theikhor village and another two at Shimphungrim.
Each Kachai household who nurtures 50-100 lemon plants for economic sustenance, used to get around 300 tins in a season. Ukhrul district contributes 5,737 metric tonnes of lemons from its 840 hectares cultivation area as against the State�s 16,879 metric tonnes.
