Brisk sale elates Gulmi orange growers

By Tilachan Pandey,Tamghas (Gulmi), Dec. 27: While farmers in many parts of the country are struggling to sell their produce, orange growers in Gulmi are celebrating a successful season as traders have directly purchased their harvest from the orchards.

Farmer Khimananda Pandey of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1, Chiure, said he had no concerns about selling his oranges this season as traders came straight to his orchard.

“All the oranges in my orchard were bought by traders, so I don’t have to worry about the market,” he said.

This year, he sold about 30 quintals of oranges at Rs. 50 per kilogram, boosting his enthusiasm for farming.

Similarly, Jiblal Pandey, another farmer from the same area, sold 12 quintals of oranges to a businessman from Rupandehi at the same rate, ensuring a smooth sale without any market-related issues.

Bed Bahadur Thapa, Chairman of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality, Gulmi, said the rural municipality is working to develop the area as a pocket zone for orange production.

He said the municipality has been providing a subsidy of Rs. 400 per pit to farmers who dig holes to plant fruit seedlings. According to him, the policy aims to make farmers self-reliant by encouraging fruit cultivation.

He added that oranges worth about Rs. 7.5 million are estimated to have been produced within the municipality this year.

However, orange production has decreased in Gulmi this year.

According to Tikaram Neupane, Information Officer at the Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Gulmi, orange production has declined by 32 per cent this year. He said oranges worth Rs. 206.784 million have been produced in the district this year, compared to Rs. 257.869 million last year.

Around 5,000 tonnes of oranges have been produced from 603 hectares of land in the district this year. The average price of oranges has been fixed at Rs. 40 per kilogram.

He said unseasonal rainfall during the flowering and fruiting seasons is the main reason for the decline in production.

“Fruit drop, lack of proper orchard management, and outbreaks of diseases and pests have also contributed to the reduction in production,” he said.

The oranges produced in the district are sold in markets in Butwal, Narayangadh, and Pokhara, among others.