Rukum’s ginger gets good market

By Our Correspondent, Musikot, Nov. 30: Ginger produced in Triveni Rural Municipality of Rukum West has got a good market this year. After the government emphasised on ginger production after implementing the ginger block programme, the produce has begun to get the market. 

Sher Bahadur Khadka of Pokhari village in Triveni-4 said that the traders themselves have begun to reach the ginger farms of the village. He said that the farmers are busy digging, planning and drying ginger as the demand for ginger soared recently. 

Khadka, who started cultivating ginger after quitting corn farming, said that he planted 20 quintals of ginger nuggets in his field and extracted about 80 quintals of ginger from his fields so far. He said that he was attracted to ginger farming as it is easy to cultivate.

However, only 32 households in Pokhari village are involved in commercial ginger production. Traders used to buy a quintal of ginger for up to Rs. 4,000 rupees from the farmers' home. Due to the road facility connecting the village with the national road network and nearby towns, it is easy for the traders to transport ginger by the tractors. A farmer here sells ginger and earns around Rs. 500,000 rupees in one season.

Min Bahadur KC, Acting Head of Agricultural Development Office Rukum West, informed that about 1,800 tonnes of ginger has been supplied to other districts from here. According to him, on an average, ginger is sold at Rs. 40 per kg. Ginger was cultivated in about 180 hectares of land in Triveni with the financial and technical support of Agricultural Development Office. KC mentioned that the farmers were still harvesting ginger from their fields.

Ginger produced in the villages of the district is collected at Simrutu, Khara, Jhulneta, Baghkhor and Nuwakotdanda of Triveni and supplied outside the district. Other local bodies producing ginger in a good amount in the district are Athabiscot Municipality and Chaurjahari Municipality.