Myagdi (Beni), 19 December: Prem Paija of Dosalle, Annapurna Rural Municipality-7, Myagdi, has sold oranges worth Rs 750,000 this year. He had planted 350 orange trees and had sold oranges worth only Rs 250,000 last year. He said that his income from oranges has increased with the increase in orange production.
Orange farming had been going on in Dosalle for the past 13 years. After earning a good income from oranges, the farmers here have abandoned traditional crops and are engaged in expanding orange farming. To expand and commercialize orange farming, the locals have formed a Dosalle Commercial Orange Breed Farmers Group and are engaged in orange farming.
Paija, who is also the chairman of the group, informed that while the village exported oranges worth Rs 8 million last year, this year entrepreneurs have taken contracts for oranges worth Rs 15 million more. “This year, the orange production is very good, most of the farmers’ oranges have been sold right from the tree, entrepreneurs have already provided the payment amount to the farmers,” said Paija.
There are about 10,000 orange trees in Dosalle village. Not only in Dosalle village, but throughout the district, orange production has increased, and farmers are getting better prices than in the past. As the orange trees become ripe, businessmen have started visiting the orchards and buying oranges. Agricultural technicians say that the increase in orange production is due to favorable weather, good tillage and management of the orchard.
Dek Bahadur Gharti, a farmer from Rakhu, Beni Municipality-3, said that the village sold oranges worth Rs 10 million last year and is expected to earn an additional Rs 16 million this year. “Businessmen have already come to the orchard to pick oranges, the production is good, the fruit has doubled compared to last year, and there is no shortage of market for the oranges produced,” he said.
According to him, all the people of Rakhu, which has 62 households, have made orange farming a commercial activity. Leading farmer Ram Bahadur Gharti here has sold oranges from his garden for Rs 750,000 and Jit Bahadur Ale for Rs 700,000 under contract. Orange production has increased this year in Rakhu, Marek, Baskuna, Surkemela, Barangja, Bhedabari, Arman, Runma, Bim, Okharbot, Takam, Ghatan, Piple, Bhagwati, Beg, Dowa, Dosalle, Ghar, Bhurung Tatopani, Dana, Narchyang and other areas of the district.
Beni-4 Baskuna village alone has earned Rs 10 million from the sale of oranges this year. Sixteen households here have been engaged in commercial orange farming. Ward member Sandeep Khatri, a leading farmer, said that the farmers’ income has increased this year due to the increase in production, while last year, oranges worth Rs 8 million were sold from Baskuna.
Oranges produced in the district have started being exported to markets including the district headquarters Beni, as well as the capital Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Narayangadh and others. According to the Agricultural Knowledge Center Myagdi, orange production is estimated to have increased by one and a half times compared to last year.
The center’s chief, Sanjeev Bastola, informed that orange production has increased in the district this year and that the status of orange production through crop cutting method is being studied and details are being collected. Orange cultivation is being done on 810 hectares of land in Myagdi, but only 420 hectares of orange trees bear fruit. Last year, 3,600 metric tons of oranges were produced from the district.
