Kachai Lemon, Tamenglong Orange to come as energy drinks, candies
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 12 2025: Famed Kachai Lemon and Tamenglong Orange will soon be available in the market in the form of energy drinks and gummy candies.

Kachai Lemon and Tamenglong Orange are two Geographical Indication (GI) tagged citrus fruits of the State.

A Memorandum of Technology License Agreement for converting these citrus fruits into energy drinks and gummy candies was signed between Food Preservation Factory, Nilakuthi and ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (CCRI), Nagpur, Maharashtra today.

The energy drinks and candies will come under the Magfruit brand.

Dr Dillip Ghosh, Director, ICAR-CCRI and K Debadutta Sharma, Director, Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation signed the agreement at the office of the State Agriculture Department at Sanjenthong, Imphal.

Kachai Lemon, Tamenglong Orange to come as energy drinks, candies

At the event, Dr Dillip Ghosh said the signing of the agreement enables transfer of technology here for production of energy drinks and gummy candies from Kachai lemon and Tamenglong orange.

The agreement signed today will benefit citrus fruit growers in Manipur.

It will boost production of the citrus fruits and ultimately improve income of farmers, he said.

He further said that the ICAR-CCRI Nagpur is in the process of producing edible oil from citrus latipes, locally known as Heiribob, grown here in Manipur.

The project is being taken up under Principal Scientist Dr Subhra Salkat Roy and is nearly complete, he said.

When the project is successfully completed, people will be able to enjoy its flavour throughout the year, he added.

Horticulture Director, K Debadutta said the signing of Technology License Agreement is a milestone for the Department and it will be instrumental in transforming the food processing sector in the State.

This technical collaboration between CCRI, Nagpur and Fruit Preservation Factory facilitates technology transfer for production of Vitamin C-fortified acid lime gummies and acid lime-based energy drinks, blending scientific research with business opportunities to boost economic growth, he said.

Kachai Lemon and Tamenglong Orange are two important GI citrus crops of the State.

The production of Kachai Lemon in the State is about 400 MT per year and that of Tamenglong orange is approximately 1000 MT, said K Debadutta.

The citrus fruits, especially Kachai lemon, will not be competitive as a fresh fruit commodity both in the domestic and National market unless it is converted into processed or value-added products, he said.

Fresh fruits and vegetables account for more than 40 % of post-harvest losses in Manipur.

This agreement of transfer of technology for conversion of the citrus fruits into energy drinks and gummies will not only help curb post-harvest losses, but also bring about a transformation in the economy of farmers and State as a whole, he added.

Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Horticulture and Soil Conservation Thaithuilung Pamei, Head of Regional Centre ICAR-NEH Region (Manipur centre) Dr Ch Basudha Devi, Principal Scientist (Horticulture) ICAR-CCRI Dr Subhra Salkat Roy and Senior Scientist ICAR-CCRI Dr Naresh Meshram were present at the signing of the agreement.

A farmers-scientists interaction programme with tribal citrus growers was held as part of the event.