By Our Correspondent, Gorkha, Feb. 11: Farmers in Gorkha have earned Rs. 340 million by selling oranges this year. Oranges were cultivated in about 1000 hectares of land in the district. 

According to Ajay Adhikari, Agriculture Officer of Gorkha Agricultural Project Implementation Unit, 6,800 tons of oranges were produced in Gorkha this year.

The orange production, if compared to the previous year, have declined by 11 per cent.

Last year, 7600 tons of oranges were produced in Gorkha and the farmers had earned Rs. 385 million.

Adhikari further added that poor management of the farms was the reason behind declination in orange production.

He said that oranges got infected as the stems of orange trees decayed due to some unknown reason.

A petrol-powered machine has been provided to the farmers to remove the infected trees.

According to the data, 512 hectares of land have been listed in orange zone but still many farmers have not come under the zone programme.

The Agricultural Knowledge Centre and the Orange Area Programme are jointly implementing schemes including garden improvement, building new gardens, and controlling diseases.

The Gandaki State has launched the zone programme through the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernisation Project to promote orange farming.

The biggest amount of oranges were produced in Manakaman and Tanlichok of Gorkha.

This year, Manakamana produced oranges worth Rs. 40 million while Bhattbeshi Gorkha Municipality – 14 produced oranges worth Rs. 10 million.