Orange production falls by 300 tonnes in Gorkha

By Our Correspondent,Sulikot, Jan. 26: Orange production has decreased in Gorkha this year. According to Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project, Project Implementation Unit, Gorkha, orange production has decreased by about 300 tonnes this year as compared to last year’s production.

Around 1,800 tonnes of orange were produced in this district this year while around 2,100 tonnes of orange were produced last year.

With the decrease in production, orange farmers have faced a loss of about Rs. 30 million compared to last year, said Rabindra Paudel, information officer of the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project, Project Implementation Unit, Gorkha.

According to him, oranges worth Rs. 100 million have been sold this year while oranges worth Rs. 130 million had been sold last year.

"This year, even though the price has increased, the turnover was not like last year. This year, farmers have sold oranges for Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 per kg,” he said.

The Prime Minister Agriculture Modern Project, Project Implementation Unit, Gorkha is implementing the Orange Zone in all wards of Gandaki Rural Municipality, Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality, Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality, Gorkha Municipality and Wards 9 and 10 of Palungtar Municipality.

The Orange Producer Agricultural Cooperative in Tangling of Gandaki Rural Municipality-2, where the Orange Zone programme is being implemented, has also reported a decrease in orange production this year.

This Cooperative, which used to sell oranges of Rs. 10 million, has only done a turnover of Rs. 8 million this year. 

Chairman of Orange Producer Agricultural Cooperative Eak Bahadur Thapa said that the orange production decreased this year due to the cutting of old trees and planting of new ones.

“There are various reasons behind the decline in production. The diseases have spread in many orange gardens while the decline in animal husbandry has reduced the availability of compost manure,” said Paudel.

He said that the decline in orange production is due to the lack of nutrients required by oranges.