Climate change hampers orange cultivation

By Kabiraj Ghimire,Hile, Feb. 11: Govinda Shrestha, a farmer of Dhankuta Municipality-5, has now cut down all the oranges planted in his garden. 

In this area, which used to produce good oranges until about a decade ago, oranges have stopped yielding income, so he had to destroy the orange plants planted by his grandfather.

“After the oranges stopped giving yield, I even tested new varieties and started treating diseases and pests as per the advice of a technician. But after no improvement though such measures were taken, I was forced to give up orange farming,” he said. 

In this place, which is located at an altitude of about 1,100 metres, even the name and trace of oranges has disappeared. 

“We tried a lot to save the oranges, we even planted new ones after the old plants were removed, we did various treatments, but no matter what we did, we could not save the oranges in this place,” said Shrestha.

The area around Karmitar used to be a good place for orange farming until a decade ago. But recently, due to various diseases and pests, the orchards have been destroyed. Earlier, all the locals had orange trees in their orchards. 

The yield was good, but now, like Shrestha's, no oranges are available in any of the locals' orange garden. 

After the orange production stopped, the few remaining trees were cut down and other crops were cultivated, said another local Saroj Aathpahari.

According to the statistics of the Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Dhankuta, orange cultivation used to be done at an altitude of about 700 to 900 metres in Shahidbhumi Rural Municipality, Khoku and Chhintang in Dhankuta. 

But recently, orange cultivation has stopped in that area too. Now, orange cultivation is done only at an altitude of about 1,000 metres. 

Farmers complained that various problems in orange farming have started appearing in the lower areas of Dhankuta, around 1,100 metres like here. 

Farmer Jitendra Rai said that the problem recurs even after planting new plants, even if they bear fruit for a few years, it is difficult.

Earlier, oranges were not produced above 1,300 metres, but now, according to the statistics of the AKC, Dhankuta, orange production has started up to 1,500 metres from see level.

Nagendra Rana Magar, chief of the AKC, Dhankuta, said that orange cultivation is moving from the lower areas to the upper regions due to climate change. 

“Earlier, oranges used to be produced up to 700 metres depending on the location, but now they are destroyed even if they are cultivated below 1,100 metres,” he said.

He, however, said that the destruction of oranges is not only due to the impact of climate change, but also due to the farmers themselves. 

“The biggest problem has been the lack of attention to plantation management along with climate change,” he added.