Septuagenarian makes money by selling Sugar apple

By Baburam Devkota

Sindhuli, Sept 26 : Suntali Maya Magar, 70, of Sunkosi Rural Municipality-3 of Sindhuli is currently busy selling Sugar apple (Annona squamosal), which is called aati (wild fruit) in Nepali. She said that aati has become a reliable means of raising expenses for the upcoming Dashain.

She said, "Every day, from the early morning until late in the evening, there is sale of aati. “My customers are the passengers passing by the BP Highway,” she said. Balram Chowk in Jha-Gajholi Ratmata under the BP Highway has become a selling point for her.

She said that during the three months from August to October, she earns sufficient money from the sale of wild fruits and vegetables. "I send other members of the family to look for wild fruit in the forest and I sit here the whole day to sell them," she said.

She also said that she earned up to Rs. 100,000 in one month and the family need not worry about the Dashain celebration this year.

According to Suntali Maya, the income from the wild fruit, which is sold at Rs. 80 to Rs. 100 per kilogram, will be sufficient to celebrate festivals. She said, "I sell the fruit worth Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,400 a day. We can get the fruit free of cost from the forest and get enough profit, but if we buy it from farmers, it will cost Rs. 30 to Rs. 40 per kilogram for us and the profit will be less.”

Indra Bahadur Magar, a farmer from Lakhanpur in Sunkosi Rural Municipality, said he removed the aati plants around him five years ago. But he is regretting now that he threw away the precious plants, which could be a good source of income.

He said that the market demand for fruit that has grown without any effort for years has also increased in recent times.

Locals say that after the expansion of local roads along the BP Highway, there is no problem of farmers' products not getting the market as before. Shanta Shrestha, a resident of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality-4 Lakhanpur, said that since the price of aati has increased compared to previous years, the income of farmers has increased.

Bir Bahadur Sarki of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality-6 Sittalpati, Chainpur said that he has been earning up to Rs. 50,000 every year by selling the fruit during the season. "Until a few years ago, we had to bring the fruit to Sindhuli headquarters by ourselves, carrying it on our back. But now, it can be sold in nearby areas.”