Farmers in Surkhet attracted to commercial litchi farming

Birendranagar, June 19: Farmers in Ramghat of Bheriganga municipality of Surkhet district are increasingly turning to commercial litchi farming, moving away from traditional maize cultivation.

This shift comes as local farmers found the reason for switching to these crops. They have realised the 'higher' profitability of litchi and mango as major cash crops in the area. In recent years, these fruits have gained popularity among farmers who are now growing them not only on field edges and nearby open spaces but also in their home yards.

As they said, litchi and mango farming offers them promising economic returns compared to conventional crops like maize. At Ramghat, farmers are presently busy harvesting litchis. Each day, they are spotted plucking bunches of ripe fruits with the help of ladders.

Rupa Dhaulakoti of Ramghat-11 shared with RSS that her annual earnings from litchi and mango farming which has now been the main source of her family’s income have been satisfactory. The 46-year-old has planted around 30 litchi trees and 150 mango trees across  around four bigha of land (one bigha equals 72,900 square feet). The trees, planted 25 years ago, are now yielding good returns.

“This year, mango fruits couldn't resist the strong winds, but the litchis remained undamaged,” she said. Ripe litchis are sold directly from the orchard at prices ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg. It means farmers have no difficulty in finding a market for the produce. According to her, her annual income from litchis exceeds Rs 100,000. “With this income, I’ve managed household expenses and made some savings as well,” she added.

Consumers prefer fruits from domestic orchards as they are considered to contain fewer pesticides compared to imported ones.

Like Rupa, Tek Bahadur Dhamala of Ramghat-11 is also currently harvesting litchis. His orchard spans five ropanis of land (one ropani is equal to 508.72 square meters). Despite some pesticide attacks this year, he reports an income of around Rs 100,000 from litchi farming.

Dhamala said that litchi cultivation will give good returns. "The production is good if irrigation and other inputs are applied on time and the plants are looked after well, and it fetches good price in the market. The demand for litchi is also high at present," he said. 

Most houses in Ramghat have two to four litchi trees. Some farmers have started to expand litchi cultivation commercially. "Many farmers in the village have started cultivating litchi now. Litchi has become attractive because it requires little initial investment and there is no lack of market as well," he added.

According to him, the farmers have been attracted to litchi farming as the government provides fertilizers, technical support, and market assurance. Currently, farmers in Ramghat have been selling litchi in the markets of their own area, and in Birendranagar, Nepalgunj and Dang.

According to Suraj BC, the head of the Agriculture Development Branch of Bheriganga Municipality, wards number 11 and 13 of Ramghat are the main centers for litchi and mango production.

He said, "The environmental conditions are suitable for commercial litchi cultivation in ward number 12, 7, and 8 of Ramghat. The weather and soil here are favourable for fruit cultivation."

According to BC, the head of the Agriculture Development Branch, the Bheriganga Municipality is implementing a grant programme to attract farmers towards fruit cultivation.

Various fruits are currently being cultivated commercially in the Ramghat area. Mangoes are grown on 29.9 hectares, oranges on 3.1 hectares, bananas on 16 hectares, lemons on 7.8 hectares, and litchi on 13.5 hectares. (RSS)