Fresh Citrus Fruits Supplier Export Packing Middle East

Fresh Citrus Fruits Supplier from Punjab, India, for Middle East Markets

Kinnow is the citrus this page is really built around, a mandarin hybrid bred originally in California in the 1930s that found its real commercial home in Punjab rather than where it was developed. The region's cool winter nights give the fruit its golden-yellow color, high juice content, and sweetness, and Punjab now produces around 1.32 million tonnes of it a year, most of it from the Abohar belt. The Middle East is already one of Kinnow's established export destinations alongside Russia, Nepal, and Bangladesh, and unlike South Indian citrus, Kinnow's harvest runs December to March, a genuinely different window that lets a Middle East buyer source fresh citrus from India across a longer stretch of the year by combining regions.

Product Specifications

Why Punjab for Middle East Citrus Supply

Kinnow accounts for nearly 47% of Punjab's total fruit-growing area, which tells you this isn't a minor side crop, it's the backbone of the state's fruit economy. The Regional Fruit Research Station in Abohar first introduced Kinnow commercially in 1968, and cultivation area grew from about 500 hectares then to nearly 49,000 hectares by 2023-24, a scale-up that built real packing and export infrastructure around it rather than leaving it as a cottage-scale crop. Worth being straightforward about one thing: traditional Kinnow does carry more seeds than some competing mandarin varieties internationally, which is a genuine trade-off some processing buyers weigh against its sweetness and juice yield. A newer low-seeded cultivar, PAU Kinnow-1, is starting to address that gap for buyers who prioritize it.

Who Buys Fresh Citrus from Punjab

Middle Eastern wholesale importers are an established, recurring buyer for Kinnow, alongside Russia, which has long been one of its largest markets. Gulf retail distributors value it specifically for the December to March window, when Kinnow is essentially the freshest citrus option coming out of India, ahead of the South Indian mandarin and orange crops that follow later in the year. Juice processors are a separate buyer category, drawn by Kinnow's high juice content even with its seed content factored into processing costs, and this segment is one PAU Kinnow-1's low-seed trait is specifically aimed at growing.

Export Packaging and Logistics

• Packaging: Standard export packing runs in 10kg corrugated boxes, with other sizes available on request. Wax coating is commonly applied to extend shelf presentation and reduce moisture loss during transit and retail display.
• Shipping Method: Sea freight in reefer containers is standard given Kinnow's reasonable shelf stability, with air freight available for smaller or time-sensitive orders. The relatively short distance to Gulf markets keeps sea freight transit time manageable.
• Minimum Order Quantity: Typically 1 to 2 MT for a first order, scaling to full reefer container loads for repeat buyers during the December to March season.
• Certifications: APEDA registration, Phytosanitary Certificate, MRL compliance documentation, and Certificate of Origin. GlobalGAP available on request for buyers with retail chain certification requirements.

What to Check Before Buying

• Confirm whether you're ordering standard Kinnow or the newer low-seeded PAU Kinnow-1 variety if seed content matters for your end use.
• Verify harvest timing against your order window, since quality and juice content shift across the December to March season.
• Ask whether wax coating is applied and confirm it meets your destination market's food-contact regulations, since standards vary by country.
• Check MRL and phytosanitary documentation per batch rather than a general seasonal statement.
• If combining Kinnow with a South Indian citrus variety for extended year-round supply, confirm both sourcing regions' harvest windows don't leave a supply gap between them.

Frequently Asked Questions