Huge earnings from orange farming

Beni, Dec 31: Til Kumari Humen from Baskun village of Beni municipality-4 of Myagdi district had begun orange farming by selling jewelries.

It was some 25 years back she embarked on fruit farming after the paddy crops did not give good returns.     

As she remembers those days of odd and bold decision to utilize land by growing orange, she finds herself right now. She is making huge income from the fruit farming. Humen had sold three tolas of gold for initial investment.     

Humen, 68, is running her family comfortably with the income from fruit farming. "I not only recovered my initial investment but also became able to ensure smooth financial management of family. It is the source of major income," she shared, adding that there are some 400 orange trees in her orchard.     

She further informed that she earns some Rs 800 thousand to Rs 1 million with sale of the citrus fruit every year. "Although my relatives had discouraged me to initiate orange farming, my initiation was replicated and expanded in the village. My decision to change profession proved right," she expressed happiness.     

Currently, 40 houses from Baskuna, Surkela and Thamdanda villages are engaging with orange farming in eight hectares of land, making adequate income.     

There is a wave of commercial orange farming in each household here. The irrigation project at Balam Khila completed some two years ago has also contributed to bringing orange farming to fruition, locals viewed.     

Earlier, farmers here used to transport their produces to Pokhara and Kathmandu themselves. But lately, the oranges grown here are sold from the groves. The buyers, especially from Pokhara and Kathmandu cities, reach the grove and make direct transaction

Dal Bahadur Karki, a pioneer farmer, said that this has hugely relieved the farmers. He further shared the buyers come and pay in advance before the oranges are ripe.     

A lot of orange groves here are booked by the buyers in advance and there is no dearth of market for the locally grown oranges, informed Karki, adding that farmers sold oranges for Rs 80 per kg this year against Rs 72 last year, informed Karki.     

The minimum price of the orange was fixed at Baskuna village to maintain uniformity, divulged Sandeep Khattri, ward member of Beni municipality-4.     

Last year, oranges worth Rs 10 million were exported from 40 houses of Baskuna, Surkemela and Thamdanda villages. This year, the production is slightly less. So, orange sale is estimated at Rs 7.5 million to Rs 8 million, said Khatri.     

A farmer fetches as much as Rs 100 thousand to Rs 1 million from orange farming.     

Baskuna village in the municipality is known as 'Orange Village' for most of the households in the village are involved in commercial orange farming.(RSS)