Sita Niraula

Taplejung, May 25:

Argeli (plants to make paper) collection has turned out to be a good source of income. Once it was being sent to Japan for manufacturing quality papers. But now a days, it is being used within Nepal itself.

Forests in Taplejung, Panchthar, Terhathum, Ilam, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Sankhuwasabha, Kavrepalanchowk, Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot, Baglung, Myagdi and Parbat districts are famous for Argeli plants that grow naturally in Nepal’s mid-hilly region at an altitude of 1,800 metres to 2,600 metres.

It has been a good source of income for people in Taplejung, especially from Lelep, Tapethok, Olangchungola and Yamfudin VDCs.

The white bark of Argeli is used for printing Yuan currency, postage stamps and passports in Japan. The same in Nepal is being used to make rope, Damlo, Namlo, and for fencing farms.

Demand and application for Argeli surged after people came to know its utility.

An owner of a home-made paper industry in Yamphudin, Surendra Rai said he is buying it at Rs 20 to Rs 30 a kg.

Argeli is now being grown commercially. According to experts, it is planted towards the the end of February for a month.

The plants then are shifted and get ready for harvesting only after three years.

Argeli plantation is easy as its branches can be planted directly after treatment, says Jitu Hellok of Tapethok.

Plants grow more fruits if a gap of a hundred centimetre is kept between plants, he added.

Argeli harvesting is done best between mid-November to mid-February except during the rainy season as the rainwater easily damages the plants.

According to experts, for maintaining quality during paper production, selection of plants need to be done carefully as old, hard and disease-hit plants do not produce good paper.

Although paper production is done on a big scale, due to drop in tourism industry, its sale has not been satisfactory, concerned businessmen said.

Since Nepal has a large prospect of manufacturing papers with the use of Argeli, an appropriate programme and its export can fetch the country much-needed foreign currency.