The state agriculture marketing department has dispatched 2,630 kilos of Darjeeling Mandarins — recently Geographical Indication-tagged — from the Darjeeling hills to Calcutta during the current winter season.
Most of the produce was procured from the Kurseong subdivision, especially Sivitar, and Sadar subdivision.
No mandarins were sourced from the Mirik subdivision this season, as growers there quoted rates considered “exorbitant” by the department.
An official of the department in Siliguri said the mandarins were sent to Calcutta in five consignments between December and early January, with the final batch dispatched on January 6.
“Consignments were sent on December 5, 12, 19 and 25, 2025, and January 6,” the official said.
According to the department, the first four consignments were procured from Sivitar in Kurseong subdivision, which has emerged as an important ‘orange belt’ of the hills. The rest were sourced from growers in the Bijanbari-Pulbazar area.
Sivitar, a small hamlet surrounded by tea plantations, is located some 50km from Siliguri at an altitude of around 4,800 feet above sea level.
An official of the district horticulture department said over 150 growers in the Sivitar area are into mandarin cultivation.
One of the key reasons for consistent production in Sivitar is that most of the mandarin plants here are relatively young — less than a decade old, he added.
The mandarins were procured from growers at an average price of ₹140 per kilo. After procurement, the fruits were packed, transported to Siliguri and sent to Calcutta by train. The fruits would be sold through the state government’s Sufal Bangla outlets across the state capital.
The Darjeeling Mandarin, which received the GI tag on November 24, 2025, enjoys a strong market demand due to its sweetness, juiciness and compact size.
Prabhas Mondal, an official of the horticulture department in Darjeeling district, said efforts were on to raise yield by replacing old plants, adopting scientific cultivation practices and conducting awareness programmes.
"We are also exploring proposals to set up fruit-processing units for which Mirik and Sukhiapokhri have been identified as potential locations," he said.