Sangurigadhi locals earn living by selling sugarcane

By Kabiraj Ghimire,Hile, Dec.1: More than 60 households in Sangurigadhi Rural Municipaity-1 and Dhankuta Municipality-9 have been earning a living by selling sugarcane in Mulghat along the Dharan-Dhankuta road section in Dhankuta.

A whole mountain in Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality is covered with sugarcane plants. 

There is an Armed Police check post near the sugarcane farm. Many people visiting the check post and travellers passing by Mulghat often buy sugarcane.

Maghishwor Limbu, a 65-year-old local, said that Mulghat is crowded with sugarcane buyers and sellers. Sugarcane is sold at Rs. 50-100 per stick. 

He said that sugarcane is grown throughout the entire Leulitar village in the rural municipality. 

According to Limbu, the farmers are now selling Panmare sugarcane after Gyawara sugarcane, which used to be grown in the past, got destroyed by disease. 

He said more than 60 farmers in the village are engaged in sugarcane farming on private and rented land. 

According to data provided by the Agriculture Knowledge Centre Dhankuta, sugarcane is being grown in 50 hectares of land in the district with 99 per cent of that in Leulitar village. 

Bishnu Chamling (Subedi), a 69-year-old local, informed that due to its medicinal properties, sugarcane gets market easily. 

People come in search of sugarcane because of its medicinal property to cure jaundice. 

Chamling, who has been selling sugarcane for the past 25 years, said that were only two to three sellers when she started her business. She has been growing sugarcane in three ropanis of rented land at a cost of Rs. 10,000 per year. 

She earns around Rs.500 to Rs. 2,500 per day.

Similarly, 37-year-old Yogen Limbu from the same village has been involved in sugarcane farming, earning around Rs. 1 to 1.2 million annually by cultivating sugarcane on his 12 ropanis of land. 

He said that earnings have been increasing in recent years due to increasing demand for sugarcane.