BAGLUNG: This year Baglung district alone has produced orange worth around Rs 270 million.

The produce went up this time around with the rise in the farmers’ attraction to orange cultivation. Compared to last year, the orange production this year has increased by Rs 4.4 million. The rise in production is due to the protection of orange saplings from pest infestation.

According to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Baglung, last year the production was worth Rs 26.46 millions.

Lately, farmers have started cultivating orange even in barren land, which also contributed to an annual increase in production, informed knowledge centre chief Kumar Pun Magar.

He also shared that orange production has increased even in the villages which are being largely deserted with the rise in outbound migration.

Previously, agricultural lands were used to cultivate crops such as millet, maize, and wheat, but these days orange farming has begun, Magar added.

Farmers are attracted to orange farming as it can yield good production with less effort, he said.

He informed that 4,169 metric tons of oranges were produced this year. He stated that farmers sold them at a minimum of Rs 65 per kilogram.

“Recently, many farmers have been attracted to orange cultivation. Orange is now growing even on land that was previously barren.

The area under orange cultivation has been increasing every year. The attraction towards orange cultivation is increasing because it requires less effort and yields higher production”. In 2019, orange cultivation covered 585 hectares, which has now increased to 664 hectares.

According to the knowledge centre, oranges are currently being produced on 381 hectares. Oranges are voluminously produced in Bihun of Kathekhola Rural Municipality, Sigana and Tityang of Baglung Municipality, Bhakunde, Binamare and Damek of Jaimini Municipality.

Pasupati Kandel, a farmer from Kathekhola Rural Municipality–6, said that while he sold oranges worth Rs 600,000 last year.
He has supplied his orchard to traders for Rs 800,000 this year with the rise in production. Timely rainfall had contributed to a good orange harvest this year, he said.