Buldhana Vidarbha Orange Sweet Lime Maharashtra

Buldhana district in Maharashtra Vidarbha region is known for orange and sweet lime cultivation on red laterite soils under the rain shadow of Satpura ranges. Farmers grow Nagpur mandarin varieties and Mosambi sweet lime in groves irrigated from farm ponds and bore wells. Citrus orchards in Buldhana are typically smallholder holdings of two to five acres, managed by families with seasonal hired labour for picking and sorting. Cooperative cold storage chains in Akola and Amravati absorb Buldhana citrus during peak November to January season. NAFED and Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board organise buyer-seller meets to connect growers with Mumbai and Pune fruit markets. Post-harvest losses from lack of cold chain reach forty percent in years of high supply.