Meet The Bengal Man Who Cultivates A Rare Kind Of Lemons

Purba Bardhaman, one of the important districts of the Burdwan Division, West Bengal is in the headlines for the discovery of an exotic species of a leafy lemon tree. According to Local 18 Bengal, the name of this exotic species is red lemon. It is located in the Shankar Mahadev Nursery in the Purbasthali town of Purba Bardhaman. As per the nursery manager, Shankar Datta, cultivating this red lemon instead of a normal lemon can turn out to be more profitable. It is because of the high juice content of the red lemon which also leads to higher productivity. This lemon variety has some more special characteristics. Once planted, the red lemon tree can yield continuously for about 25 years. Besides, the produce will be available from this tree, for about 6 months in a year. The yield can be obtained from the tree 1 year after its planting, but it would be more effective to pluck the produce 2 years after the tree is fully grown. Shankar Mahadev Nursery’s manager Shankar has attributed the profitability of lemons to their massive demand in the market and requirement by people.

One leafy lemon tree in Shankar’s nursery yields 1500 pieces of lemon in a year. One lemon piece weighs about 70 grams when it grows in size. Due to the big size, the juice from this fruit is available in abundance. The nursery’s manager said that the expenditure on growing the red lemons is the same as that of other lemons. He said that there is no fear of suffering losses after growing these lemons.

People should ensure that this lemon tree should be planted in a slightly higher place so that water does not accumulate at the tree’s roots. As per the nursery’s manager Shankar, the red lemon tree can yield twice what a normal tree produces in 5 years. Shankar said that the red lemon tastes similar to the normal lemon. The price of red lemon is Rs 150 per piece. It is not readily available in the market, but the nursery authorities are optimistic that this lemon will be sold at a high price if the market grows for it. According to Shankar, the red lemon variety will become popular because of its red colour and extra juice. The farmers can benefit from red lemon cultivation.