KAILALI, DECEMBER 20

Farmers have been discouraged by the lack of market for fruits grown in the Chure hilly area in Doti and Kailali districts due to the ongoing COVID-19 menace.

“Ripe fruits in our farms have started rotting in some areas for want of market,” said Roj Bahadur Kalel, a farmer of Badrikedar Rural Municipality in Doti. “We will incur a big loss as our produce has lost the market due to the grim scenario created by the pandemic,” he said.

“Since there’s no market for our fruits, we are losing willpower,” said another farmer Sher Bahadur Bohara of Jorayal Rural Municipality. This year, there has been very low mobility of traders to purchase fruits grown in the villages, thanks to the pandemic.

The affected farmers urged the provincial and local governments to take necessary initiatives to explore the market for their produce. Farmers complained lack of road networks connecting the market and the agricultural product collection centre made matters worse.

Badrikedar, Jorayal, KI Singh and Bogatan Foodsil rural municipalities in Doti are known for oranges, lemons, pulses and soybean. In Doti, the sale of citrus fruits such as orange and lemon has been estimated to be Rs 10 million yearly.

“Initiatives have been taken to manage an agricultural product collection centre at the farming site and provide market for agricultural produce,” said Yagya Raj Joshi, chief of the Directorate of Agriculture Development, Dipayal.

Nigali at Chure Rural Municipality in Kailali and the surrounding villages, including Sahajpur and Khairala, are pocket areas for orange farming.

Oranges produced at Nigali has been the best choice for consumers in the Tarai.

More than 100 tonnes of oranges are produced in Nigali annually. The village has more than 200 farmers engaged in orange production.

“A farmer earns at least Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 annually from the sale of oranges,” said a farmer Kisan Acharya, who has grown 532 orange saplings in his farmland. A quintal of orange fetches Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 in retail price at the farm.

Oranges are sold for Rs 110 to Rs 120 per kg in the market.