Dhankuta, December 31:

Ginger production, which is one of the major cash crops of Dhankuta, will not drop as a whole in the district this year, District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), Dhankuta said.

Ginger farmers of Chintang, Khoku, Aankhisalla, Chungbang, Ahale and Mahabharat Village Development Committees had assumed that there would be reduction in ginger production this year due to the attack of a disease at the roots of ginger plants, leading to rot in the plants. However, as ginger production is growing each year, it won’t affect the total production of the district, DADO added.

Officer at DADO, Dhankuta, Bir Bahadur Thapa said that the disease in ginger roots was seen due to planting of some decayed seeds and lack of fresh seeds.

Thapa said, “Farmers must only plant fresh and healthy ginger seeds so that they don’t have to face such problems.”

However, the disease has not been seen in ginger plantations in other VDCs of the district.

In the fiscal year of 2004-05, 1661 metric tonnes of ginger was produced from an area of 152 hectares, DADO informed. The office added that in the current FY, ginger has been planted on 156 hectares of land in the district, and it is estimated that 1727 metric tonnes of ginger will be produced.

Farmers in Chintang, Khoku, Aankhisalla, Chungbang, Ahale and Mahabharat VDCs have profited greatly from ginger farming, secretary of Khoku Village Development Committee, Netra Maan Rai said.