Waling, February 9:

Syangja has become the number orange producing district with an orange harvest worth Rs 200 million this year.

According to the District Agriculture Development Office, Syangja produced some 497 more metric tonnes this year over last year. Last year, 12,500 metric tonnes were harvested and this year it is 12,997 metric tonnes, said office technical assistant Shivpujan Gupta.

He said the increase was not because of suitable weather but because of increased number of orange farmers. Eighty per cent of oranges from the district is sent across the country and exported outside also.

Thirty five per cent of the district’s farmers grow oranges. As there was no problem of market, the number of farmers has been increasing.

The orange production areas have been declared protected areas. Parts of Putalibazar Municipality, wards 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, and 13 as well as more than two dozen VDCs including Khilungdeurali, Arjun Chaupari, Ailadi, Dahathum, Sirsekot, Sworek, Biruwa Archale, Bahakot, Manakamana and Banethok are areas that are teeming with orange groves.