Farmers earning millions from orange sales

KATHMANDU: Farmers in Devghat Rural Municipality-3 of Tanahun are earning substantial income from orange sales this year.

It is estimated that oranges worth around three crore rupees will be sold from villages like Batak, Lungring, Chipchipe, Chapswara, and Dagara alone.

Local farmer Bhim Bahadur Rana mentioned that this year’s orange sales are expected to surpass three crore rupees from this ward. He informed that in Lungring, some households have sold oranges worth more than 20 lakh rupees.

Prem Thapa, a local farmer from Batak, shared that while the area previously faced food scarcity due to lack of grain production, in recent years, residents have become prosperous by selling oranges.

He said that orange farming has become the primary source of income for the farmers. However, he expressed concern over various diseases affecting the orange crops recently, saying, “Farmers here have been earning well from oranges, but we are now worried about crop diseases.”

According to local farmer Jit Bahadur Thapa, the sales could have exceeded three crore rupees if the crops had not been affected by diseases. He said, “We expect sales to reach three crore rupees, but they could have been even higher if not for the diseases.”

Despite the significant orange production, transporting the produce to market remains challenging. Farmers report difficulties due to the lack of bridges over the Trishuli and Seti rivers, which separate villages like Lungring, Batak, Chipchipe, Chapswara, and Dagara from the main highway.

Farmers from Lungring and Chipchipe transport their oranges by jeep to Naldighat on the Buddhasingh Road or Gaighat on the Mugling-Narayangadh Road. From there, they carry the oranges across suspension bridges to reach the highway.

Similarly, farmers in Chapswara and Dagara use a gravity ropeway system to deliver oranges to Buddhasingh Road and then transport them via Damauli to Kathmandu.

Hari Kumar Shrestha, another farmer, explained that the lack of bridges in Naldighat and Gaighat increases transportation costs. He said, “Locals here rely on ropeways to transport oranges, ginger, bananas, and other fruits to the highway.”

Til Bahadur Thapa, the chairperson of the rural municipality, highlighted that Devghat is surrounded by rivers on three sides, and the absence of bridges creates ongoing challenges.