Baitadi, February 13:

A strange disease has descened on the orange trees in Baitadi district of the country’s far west region.

The orange trees there have started drying up all of a sudden due to change in climate and other reasons.

Many farmers who had been commercially growing oranges for many years are worries what they will do if their busines collapses.

Earlier, a study conducted by the National Agriculture Research Council had identified the problem as lack of micronutrients in the soil and said that climate change also was responsible for the drying up of the orange trees.

The district agriculture development office said that orange farming in the district was likely to collapse in the district within two to three years if new technologies and irrigation facility were not adopted soon. Over 25 VDCs in the district have oranges groves.