Kathmandu, 9 Nov: Gesh Bahadur Rana of Baudikali–5, Babak, Nawalpur (Nawalparasi East, Bardaghat Susta Purba) is delighted this year as he was able to sell his oranges directly from the orchard at a good price.
In previous years, he had to run around searching for markets, and the prices were relatively low. However, this time, he expressed happiness that the oranges were sold easily right from the orchard. Rana said that orange farmers from Babak—known as one of the most prominent orange-producing villages in the district—have been selling their produce directly from their orchards.
According to him, local traders are currently buying oranges directly from the orchards at a rate of NPR 60 to NPR 65 per kilogram.
“On one hand, it has become easier to sell oranges directly from the orchards; on the other hand, farmers are excited to receive a higher price than in previous years,” Rana said. Last year, the price ranged from NPR 50 to NPR 55 per kilogram, but this year the rate has slightly increased, he added.
Farmers in the hilly regions of Nawalpur are now busy harvesting oranges. Krishna Saru, an orange farmer from Raikot in Bulingtar–5, said it has become more convenient as the harvested oranges are being sold directly from the villages. He alone owns around one thousand orange trees and sells the produce in the local market once they ripen.
Saru said the weather was favorable this year, resulting in better-quality oranges with good-sized fruit and improved market prices. He added that last year’s oranges in Raikot were smaller in size, but this year the yield and quality are both much better.
He mentioned that the oranges produced are mainly supplied to the local Kawasoti market area. “We are currently sending the oranges to nearby markets; for now, local demand is sufficient, but we’ll see how the situation develops later,” Saru said.
Oranges are produced in several hilly areas of the district, including Babak, Raikot, Jowari, Dhodeni, and Deurali. Farmers have started harvesting their oranges, and local traders are visiting orchards to buy them directly. Rana said some traders even place orders over the phone, and farmers send the oranges as per demand.
He further shared that demand is coming not only from local Nawalpur markets but also from Narayangadh in Chitwan. “Traders are showing strong demand, and the price has already been set, so we simply weigh and send the oranges. We no longer have to worry about where to sell them,” Rana added.
He explained that in the past, farmers used to worry about setting prices and transporting oranges to different markets, but now the rates are determined within the village, and the produce is shipped based on trader demand. Local traders are also collecting oranges from different parts of the villages and selling them on-site, which has made the process much easier for farmers.
With the implementation of the Citrus Fruit Zone Program under the National Agriculture Modernization Program, Nawalpur Implementation Unit, commercial orange production in the district has been steadily increasing.
According to Information Officer Ran Bahadur Mahato, there are about 180 hectares of productive citrus orchards in Nawalpur. In the last fiscal year, the district produced around 1,400 metric tons of oranges and 18 tons of lemons. Farmers earned about NPR 89 million from orange sales and NPR 1.786 million from lemon sales, according to Mahato.
