DUSHANBE, 06.12.2021 (NIAT Khovar) – Tajik farmers started harvesting lemons, and with the arrival of cold weather the demand for this citrus fruit has doubled.

The Meyer variety is especially popular with farmers, particularly in the Khatlon region. These lemons differ from other varieties by their thin skin, special taste and strong aroma. Domestically they are in high demand.

“It is very juicy and not too sour. It is enough to wash the lemon and you can eat it along with the peel, — it’s even more nutritious this way,” says farmer Gulom Salohov.

Meyer lemons have an orange-red rind, which is a result of hybridization of lemon and orange. The lemon owes its name to the American explorer Frank Meyer who discovered it in Beijing. From China it was introduced to America, and in the early 1930s it was brought from the US to Tajikistan.

According to another local farmer Murtazo Sharipov, the ripeness of the lemon is determined by its dark yellow color. When picking, the fruit needs to be carefully cut off just above the stem, otherwise the fruit will spoil before reaching the consumer.

With the arrival of cold weather, the demand for Tajik lemons has doubled. On a three-hectare plantation, farmers harvest half a ton of lemons.

A kilogram of lemons costs approximately 12 somoni in Dushanbe, but in a couple of weeks the price may decrease.

Today, 2,000 hectares of land is dedicated to lemons, which brings about 100,000 tons annually.