Assam Lemon (Kaji Nemu)
Grafted planting material, not true seed. A GI-tagged Northeast variety known for its aroma and thin rind, grown almost only in Assam, and sold at a premium.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Lemon & Lime
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Bearing from year 3–4 (grafted plant)
- Expected yield
- 100–130 q/ha at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate canker tolerance
- Release
- A traditional Assam variety, believed to be a natural seedling selection from the older Chinakaghi lemon, not bred by ICAR or a university. GI-tagged in 2019 and declared Assam's State Fruit on 13 February 2024.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Kaji Nemu, sold across India as Assam Lemon, is believed to have arisen as a natural seedling of Chinakaghi, an older, smaller, more acidic and seeded Assamese lemon. It bears large, often seedless or near-seedless fruit of 60–100 g and 6–11.5 cm, elongated-oblong to obovate, with a strong fragrance. The fruit stays on the tree even after it ripens. A mature tree is reported to give 300–500 fruits, roughly 20–30 tonnes a hectare, over a productive life of 20–25 years. It fruits nearly all year in two main flushes, with a lighter patch from November to January. Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Cachar, Chirang, Nalbari and Dima Hasao are named as major growing districts. It received a Geographical Indication tag in 2019, and the Assam cabinet declared it the State Fruit on 13 February 2024. State figures put annual production at about 1.58 lakh tonnes, and exports at about 70,000 kg a year to Dubai, London, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Assam Lemon (Kaji Nemu) if you farm in Assam and want the GI-tagged, State Fruit lemon known for its strong aroma. The fruit is large, 60–100 g and often near-seedless, and a mature tree is reported to give 300–500 fruits, roughly 20–30 t/ha, over a 20–25 year life. The yield card shows a cautious 100–130 q/ha. It is grown almost only inside Assam, so outside Assam it has little track record. Choose Pant Lemon 1 or Kagzi Kalan for the north Indian plains, Vikram or Balaji for kagzi lime.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Distinctive strong aroma and flavour that has made it Assam's signature lemon and now its officially declared State Fruit (February 2024)
- Large, often seedless or near-seedless fruit with a high reported per-tree yield (300–500 fruits, roughly 20–30 t/ha) and a long, 20–25 year productive tree life
- GI-tagged since 2019, giving it formal recognition and a growing export market (about 70,000 kg/year to Dubai, London, Abu Dhabi and Qatar per state figures)
Things to consider
- The 100–130 q/ha on the yield card is far below the roughly 200–300 q/ha (20–30 t/ha) reported by Assam sources, so treat the card as a cautious figure, not a limit
- Kaji Nemu is grown almost only in Assam's own districts, so it has little track record in other states, and you should try a small block before planting a large one elsewhere
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Assam
Use the GI tag to sell, not to plan the yield
Kaji Nemu holds a Geographical Indication tag from 2019, and Assam's cabinet declared it the State Fruit on 13 February 2024. Those two facts are real selling points: a named, local, aromatic lemon with a story.
Use them on the label, the crate and in your talk with buyers, and keep the fruit's real strengths in front: large size, near-seedless fruit and strong fragrance. Grade for size, pack with care, and name Kaji Nemu and the district where it grew.
Do not use the tag to plan your harvest. The yield card shows a cautious 100–130 q/ha, Assam sources report 200–300 q/ha, and a tree takes years to reach full bearing. Budget on the lower figure until your own trees have fruited for a few seasons.
Where the planting material comes from
This variety is budded onto a rootstock, not grown from seed. Seed out of its fruit will not come up as this variety, so it cannot be kept as seed. Buy budded plants from a registered nursery or a government farm, so the plant is true to the variety and free of disease.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Lemon & Lime variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam Lemon (Kaji Nemu)this page | GI-tagged aromatic Assam lemon, large near-seedless fruit | Bearing from year 3–4 (grafted plant) | 100–130 q/ha at full bearing | Assam |
| Balaji | Leading Andhra Pradesh acid lime, round smooth juicy fruit | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | About 13.8 t/ha in a Karnataka trial | Andhra Pradesh |
| Eureka (lemon) | True thornless lemon with tender, sour, mostly seedless fruit | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | Medium | Maharashtra |
| Kagzi Kalan | True lemon bearing twice a year, for fresh and juice use | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | Medium–high | West Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh |
| Lisbon (lemon) | Clean-looking international true lemon, unproven yield in India | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | Medium | Maharashtra |
| Pant Lemon 1 | University-selected lemon from Kagzi Kalan for the Tarai belt | Bearing from year 3–4 (grafted plant) | 150–180 q/ha at full bearing | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab |
| Pramalini (Kagzi lime) | Tall, many-fruited acid lime with mid-range trial yield | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | About 12.5 t/ha in a Karnataka trial | Andhra Pradesh |
| Sai Sharbati | Private-nursery acid lime with larger, very tart fruit | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | About 9.8 t/ha in a Karnataka trial | Andhra Pradesh |
| Vikram (Kagzi lime) | Best-yielding acid lime in recent trials, with long shelf life | Bearing from year 3–4 (grafted plant) | 120–150 q/ha at full bearing | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Lemon & Lime is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Lemon & Lime plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Lemon & Lime variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Lemon & Lime into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Lemon & Lime rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Lemon & Lime seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Assam Lemon the same as ordinary kagzi lime?
No — it's Kaji Nemu, a distinct traditional Assamese variety believed to be a natural seedling of an older local lemon called Chinakaghi, not the pan-India kagzi (acid) lime. It's larger, often seedless, and has its own strong, distinctive aroma.
Has Assam Lemon received any official recognition?
Yes — it received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2019, and on 13 February 2024 the Assam state cabinet formally declared it the state's official 'State Fruit', citing its unique aroma and antioxidant properties.
Can I grow Kaji Nemu outside Assam?
It is grown almost only in Assam's own districts, so there is little published evidence outside. Try a small block of grafted plants first, and do not expect the aroma and yield to match Assam's until you have seen your own fruit.
When does a Kaji Nemu tree fruit?
It fruits nearly all year in two main flushes, with a lighter patch from November to January. The fruit also stays on the tree after it ripens, which gives you some room in picking dates.
How long does a tree keep bearing?
A productive life of 20–25 years is reported, and bearing from year 3–4 for a grafted plant. That makes it a long-term orchard, so choose your site and drainage carefully before planting.
What does the GI tag change for a farmer?
It gives the name Kaji Nemu formal protection and helps in selling the fruit as a distinct Assam product, including the exports to Dubai, London, Abu Dhabi and Qatar that state figures describe. It does not raise your yield, so the sales gain depends on how you grade, pack and name the fruit.
Sourced from: Kaji Nemu — Wikipedia, Kaji Nemu Given 'State Fruit Of Assam' Recognition — Pratidin Time. editorial policy.