Citrus Sudden Death (CSD) outbreak in Pakistan, citrus plantation area decreased year by year

  This year, Pakistan has experienced a severe outbreak of citrus sudden death (CSD), mainly in the citro-producing Tobatech Singh district of Punjab province.

The disease first broke out in Brazil in the early 2000s and has since spread to other major citrus producing regions, including Argentina, Paraguay, Australia, Pakistan and South Africa. Citrus sudden death (CSD) has the following typical characteristics: the leaves turn pale or yellowish-green; Trees show partial defoliation, fewer shoots than usual, or even no inner shoots, which can seriously lead to tree death.

Sudden citrus death (CSD) is a disease of unknown etiology, which has been suggested to be caused by sudden citrus death associated virus (CSDaV), which may be transmitted by aphids. It has also been suggested that it is caused by candida or certain fungi, and that environmental stressors such as flooding and nutritional deficiencies may also play a more important role in its occurrence and spread.

Pakistan is the 13th largest citrus producer in the world, contributing around 30% of the country's total fruit production. About 200,000 hectares have been planted in the past 10 years, and annual production has stabilized at 2 to 2.4 million tons. Between 2018 and 2022, Pakistan's citrus production increased slightly, from 2.35 million tonnes to 2.55 million tonnes, but the area under cultivation actually decreased by almost 20%, from 450,000 acres to 350,000 acres, during the same period