Foreign companies show interest in Rolpa’s organic timur

By Diwakar Pokhrel,Deukhuri, Sept. 22: Foreign companies have started showing interest in the Sichuan pepper (timur) produced in Rolpa district of Lumbini Province. 

Organic timur has been cultivated in the hilly regions of Lumbini Province. Discussions have begun on the potential to improve farmers’ livelihoods through commercial timur farming and to export it internationally.

Lumbini Province Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya held discussions with foreign donors and entrepreneurs, informing them that the provincial government has addressed the development of timur farming in its annual policy, programme, and budget for the current fiscal year.

Chief Minister Acharya said, “Our hilly regions produce high-quality timur. The provincial government is ready to support farmers in producing it in a way that benefits them.”

He said that since it has a good market in Europe and the United States, Lumbini’s timur can reach the global market. The provincial government has allocated a budget of Rs. 7 million to promote timur farming in the current fiscal year.

Chief Minister Acharya, former Chief Minister Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary, Lumbini’s Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Bhumi Swar Dhakal, and other officials met with Pierre Alexander, head of a French company called Equedis. 

During the meeting, Alexander remarked that Nepali timur is considered a global benchmark and has strong demand in the world market. He stressed the need to preserve Nepali timur in a pesticide-free state to maintain its value as an organic product.

Former Chief Minister and Nepali Congress leader Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary said that the hilly regions of Lumbini Province are ideal for timur production, which could provide a significant income for farmers.

On May 31, a Timur Conference was held in Lumbini Province. The provincial government has reported that Lumbini Province has 1 million hectares of forest, with 50,000 hectares suitable for Sichuan pepper cultivation. With 400 plants on each hectare, and if each plant produces up to 3 kg of timur, it is estimated that 60 million kgs of timur could be produced annually.

Unprocessed timur is currently sold for Rs. 500 to Rs. 800 per kg. According to Mohan Raj Kafle, Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment of Lumbini Province, 290,519 kg of timur was exported in the fiscal year 2021/22.

Timur is commercially cultivated in various locations in Rolpa district. With the prospect of earning significant income by exporting pesticide-free timur to the global market, surveys have already begun. 

Local farmers from Madi, Triveni, and Runtigadhi rural municipalities are engaged in timur farming. Foreign companies have shown interest in bringing organic timur from this region to the global market, initiating studies and surveys on its potential.