Myagdi Orange Production Drops Despite Higher Prices This Year

Myagdi. This year, oranges worth NPR 316 million have been produced in Myagdi. Orange is the main cash crop of Myagdi. The District Agriculture Development Office stated that 4,515 metric tons of oranges were produced from an area of 430 hectares at a rate of 10.5 metric tons per hectare.

Office Chief Sanjeev Bastola informed that the orange production data was collected after harvesting the crop from orchards in various parts of the district. "Oranges have been produced in orchards covering 430 hectares of land," he said, "Farmers have sold oranges worth NPR 316 million at an average rate of NPR 70 per kilogram."

Orange orchards cover an area of 835 hectares in the district. Last year, 4,781 metric tons of oranges were produced from 425 hectares of land at a rate of 11.25 metric tons per hectare. Oranges worth NPR 340 million were sold last year.

Production has decreased by 5.56 percent compared to last year. Office Chief Bastola stated that although there was no infection of various pests and diseases this year, the production decreased because the fruit setting on the trees was sparse.

"Although the weather supported us this year, pests were not seen, and disasters did not cause damage, the fruit setting was low this time," Bastola said, "The production was affected due to the natural characteristic of orange cultivation where it bears heavily one year and bears less fruit the next year."

The area of land under orange cultivation and the price have increased, but productivity has decreased. Farmers who sold oranges at NPR 65 per kilogram last year sold them at a price NPR 5 higher per kilogram this year. There are more than two hundred orange orchards in Rakhu, Marek, Surkemela, Baranja, Bhedabari, Arman, Runma, Bim, Okharbot, Takam, Ghatan, Piple, Bhagwati, Beg, Dowa, Dosalle, Ghar, Bhurung Tatopani, Dana, and Narchyang.

Farmer Om Giri from Mangala Rural Municipality-3, Bhorleni, stated that oranges were sold in the district headquarters Beni, as well as in markets like the capital Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Mugling. Giri mentioned that oranges worth NPR 1.1 million were sold from his orchard this year.

Due to transportation facilities, traders come directly to the orchards to purchase oranges. The Prime Minister's Agricultural Modernization Project, the Agriculture Development Office, and the local level's agriculture branch provide support in distributing orange saplings, technical training, orchard management, small-scale irrigation, and marketing.