Orange farmers in Myagdi see record-breaking sales this year
With 350 orange trees, Paija attributed his increased income to a boost in production.
KATHMANDU: Prem Paija, a farmer from Dosalle, Annapurna Rural Municipality-7 in Myagdi, sold oranges worth Rs 750,000 this year, a significant jump from Rs 250,000 last year.
With 350 orange trees, Paija attributed his increased income to a boost in production.
Orange farming began in Dosalle about 13 years ago. Encouraged by steady income, farmers have gradually shifted from traditional crops to commercial orange farming.
To support this shift, locals have formed the Dosalle Commercial Orange Farmers Group, led by Paija.
He reported that while orange exports from the village totaled Rs 8 million last year, this year, traders have contracted orange harvests worth over Rs 15 million directly from the orchards.
Dosalle currently has around 10,000 orange trees. Favorable weather, proper orchard management, and good farming practices have driven the increase in production.
Across Myagdi, districts like Raku, Merek, Baskuna, Surkemela, and others are experiencing a similar rise in orange production.
In Raku, farmer Dek Bahadur Gharti estimated this year’s orange sales to reach Rs 16 million, up from Rs 10 million last year.
Leading farmers such as Ram Bahadur Gharti and Jit Bahadur Ale have already sold their orchards for Rs 750,000 and Rs 700,000, respectively.
Baskuna village in Beni-4 also reported orange sales worth Rs 10 million this year, up from Rs 8 million last year.
According to ward member Sandeep Khatri, 16 households in Baskuna are engaged in commercial orange farming.
Myagdi’s oranges are now being supplied to markets in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, and Narayangadh.
The Agricultural Knowledge Center in Myagdi estimates that production has increased by 1.5 times compared to last year.
Currently, 420 out of 810 hectares of orange farmland in the district yield fruit. Last year, Myagdi produced 3,600 metric tons of oranges.
