Farmers in Faimarang, Bethanchowk Rural Municipality-1, Kavre, used to be busy planting maize in the rainy season and mustard and fenugreek in the winter. When the harvest was good, livelihood was easy. But after 2070, cultivating maize, mustard and fenugreek in Faimarang became more difficult. Wild animals like wild boars, deer, bears and monkeys started coming to the farmers' fields and causing damage.

Unable to cope with the problem, local Ramesh Prasad Timalsina and his family fled Panauti eight years ago. ‘Before the corn could ripen, wild boars and deer would destroy everything,’ he said. ‘Even after trying to save the crop by burning logs and making noise all night, more than 25 percent of the grain could not be brought in.’

His 15 ropanis of land in the village is barren. Out of 40 households in Faimarang, only 12 currently live there. The remaining 28 households have migrated to Panauti. ‘The main reason for the migration is the threat of wild animals, but the village is also becoming empty due to education and employment,’ says Madhusudan Timalsina, ward chairman of Bethanchok Rural Municipality-1. 

Another such example is Gokul Gautam of Chilaune Danda in Bethanchok Rural Municipality-1. He left the village a year and a half ago after being unable to protect his crops from wild animals despite spending days and nights guarding them. He is cultivating vegetables on a 2-ropani rented land in Panauti Municipality-8. ‘We have to leave our land fallow in the village,’ he said.

This problem is also present in other villages in Kavre. Some farmers have not seen any alternative, while some have started alternative farming in the village itself. In Ward No. 6 of Bethanchowk Rural Municipality, farmers have identified a type of farming that is not damaged by wild animals and have started lemon farming.

Anjali Adhikari of Tarki in Bhugdeu, Bethanchowk Rural Municipality-6 is an example of this. She is not worried about how to protect her crops from wild animals these days. She has been cultivating lemon for the past 7 years. Bears and wild boars have not done anything to lemon farming. 

‘I think 8/10 years ago, one or two farmers in the village planted 5/7 lemon trees. The wild animals did nothing to the lemons. After that, I also started lemon farming,' she said, 'I have planted 300 lemon trees in a 6 ropani field. The lemons started bearing fruit only three years after planting. Since three years, I have been earning Rs 5-6 lakh every year.'

When cultivating maize, I used to earn only Rs 80,000 to Rs 100,000. When the wild animals damaged it, I would not be able to harvest the crop. Even after starting lemon farming, she said, the income was double that of maize. 'A single lemon tree produces continuously for 20-30 years. That is why there are many benefits,' she said. 

Even farmers who used to leave their fields fallow have been attracted to lemon farming because the income is high and the wild animals do not destroy it. Keher Singh Lama, 72, of Bethanchowk-6, Tar, Kavre, used to leave his farmland fallow because he could not save his corn crop due to fear of bears and wild boars. But even though other farmers in the village have turned to lemon farming, he has also been cultivating lemons for the past 7 years. He has planted 400 lemon trees in 4 ropanis. 

‘Earlier, when corn was planted, 120 heads of corn would be harvested, and that too for bears and wild boars,’ he said. ‘Now, I am confident that wild animals will not damage the lemons and the income will also be higher.’ He has been earning about 500,000 rupees annually from lemon farming for the past four years.

He said that he has earned about 2 million rupees in the past seven years. He says that after spending 40-50 thousand rupees annually, the remaining amount is saved. ‘Sometimes a monkey comes, tries to climb a tree, gets stuck with the thorns of a lemon tree, and then runs away,’ he said, ‘When I planted corn, wheat, and mustard, there was nothing left.’

The number of farmers attracted to lemon farming is increasing every year. Madhusudan Dahal, head of the rural municipality’s agriculture department, said that most of the farmers here plant the golden lemon variety. The golden lemon variety is considered very good in that place. He said that the warm sun and the climate there are suitable for lemon farming.

After a large number of monkeys started entering the village after 2070 BS, farmers in Bhumlu rural municipality of Kavre have also adopted a similar tactic. Farmers in Bhumlu rural municipality-7, Phalat, were dependent on corn farming until 12 years ago. Since corn was enough for both the family and livestock throughout the year, they were satisfied with their agricultural work. But the monkeys started to cause trouble by picking and eating the corn husks before they could ripen, breaking them, and throwing them away. 

Farmer Dwarika tried many ways to scare the monkeys away, from banging plates, firing guns, and chasing dogs. None of his efforts were successful. He said that he was forced to stop cultivating corn after he could not save even a single husk in his two-ropani field, which used to grow 50 heads of corn. Along with Dwarika, all the farmers in the village were fed up with the trouble caused by the monkeys. 

They rushed from the village to the provincial office demanding a solution to the problem. After explaining their problem many times, the provincial government finally suggested them to cultivate lemon as an alternative crop. Accordingly, most of the farmers in Faland planted 50-60 lemon trees received under subsidy. The trees have started bearing fruit in four years. He said that since a single tree can be used for 20-25 years, farmers can get more benefit from lemon than from corn. 

Even fields that were barren for years are now being used for lemon production. Prem Bahadur Bhujel, a farmer from Gharikhet in Bhumlu Rural Municipality-8, is now cultivating lemons by making good use of the land that was barren until seven years ago. Bhujel, who is also the chairman of Bhumlu Rural Municipality, has planted 600 golden lemon trees in an area of ​​20 ropanis. He says that he started lemon cultivation as a commercial farm as per the advice of an agricultural expert, saying that lemons are safe from wild animals.

He said that the lemons started bearing fruit within three years of planting. "Last year alone, we earned about seven lakh rupees. If we manage it well by combining tillage, pruning, water and fertilizer management, we can earn good income from it for 20-25 years," Bhujel said.

Ward No. 6 was declared a lemon pocket area in the policy and program of the fiscal year 2081/82 and a budget of Rs 150,000 was allocated for the program, said Agriculture Branch Chief Dahal. ‘Free lemon seedlings were distributed to 79 farmers of Ward No. 6 under the budget allocated in 2081/82,’ he said, ‘A budget of Rs 300,000 has been allocated for lemon farming for this fiscal year 2082/83.’

Bhumlu Rural Municipality has also prioritized lemon farming. Rural Municipality Chairman Prem Bhujel said that the rural municipality has included lemon farming in the policy and program of 2082/83 and allocated a budget of Rs 150,000 under the title ‘Lemon Pocket Area Management’. In the last fiscal year, the municipality had provided training to farmers in lemon farming in two phases.

The municipality's agriculture branch has informed that 40 farmers from wards 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 have been trained in lemon farming in the municipality and 30 farmers from wards 1, 2, and 3 in Simathali, Ward 2. The farmers have been provided with tractors, agricultural equipment, lemon seedlings under subsidy, and training seminars on farming methods, tillage, pruning, and disease and pest control. 

Farmers are expanding lemon farming professionally by forming groups in settlements including Phalate, Jamune, and Pauwa of the municipality. Many farmers have started earning income since last year. According to the chairman of the municipality, Prem Bahadur Bhujel, this has identified the potential for economic development from lemon farming in Bhumlu rural municipality.

Data shows that lemon production is increasing after farmers and even the local government got involved in this campaign. Looking at the data of the last 5 fiscal years, as the expansion of lemon farming has accelerated, production has also increased. The area and production of lemon plantations have doubled in five years, according to the data of the District Agricultural Development Office, Kavrepalanchok.

In the fiscal year 2077/78, 2,480 tons of lemon were produced in an area of ​​255 hectares. In 2078/79, 4,635 tons of lemon were produced in an area of ​​602 hectares. In 2079/80, there was a decrease in both the production area and production. In 2079/80, 3,256 tons of lemon were produced in an area of ​​402 hectares.

Compared to 2079/80, the production area and production increased slightly in 2080/81. In 2080/81, 4,485 tons of lemon were produced in an area of ​​579 hectares. In the five-year data, the highest production was recorded in 2081/82. In 2081/82, 5051 tons of lemon were produced in an area of ​​632 hectares.

Recently, there has been an increase in lemon production in Nepal. Comparing the three-year data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, it is seen that there has been an increase in lemon production in Nepal annually.

While 44,462 tons of lemon were produced in the fiscal year 2078/79, the ministry's data shows that 46,244 tons were produced in the fiscal year 2079-80 and 55,807 tons of lemon were produced in the fiscal year 2080-81. Comparing the total lemon production in Nepal and the lemon produced in Kavrepalanchok, the District Agricultural Development Office, Kavre, has stated that Kavrepalanchok accounts for 8.45 percent of the total production. 

Although lemon is a crop that is grown throughout the year in many parts of Nepal, its production is not the same in all seasons, said Kul Prasad Dawadi, Chief of the District Agricultural Development Office, Kavre. The main production of lemon is from Bhadra to Kartik. Apart from this, the second phase of production is also seen from Falgun to Chaitra. He says that a lemon tree can usually bear fruit twice a year. 

As farmers' interest in lemon farming has increased in recent times, data has shown that production has also increased. As production increases, farmers may not get a good market for lemons. From a multifaceted perspective, Kamala Lama, a businesswoman and owner of Jhambal Agricultural Firm, says that lemons can be used to make good income.

'Pickles, pickles, candies, and sour pickles can be made from lemons,' she said. 'There is a good market for it now, one kilogram of lemon pickle sells for up to Rs 1,500. You can make different flavors and dishes and sell them, you don't have to worry about it in the market, customers come to buy the goods themselves.'

Vegetable entrepreneur (collector) Sudarshan Acharya says that the number of farmers cultivating lemons in the village has been increasing recently. He has been collecting vegetables in various places in Bethanchowk Rural Municipality for 16 years and has seen farmers' interest in lemon farming increase in the past five years. Farmers are attracted to lemons because they provide good income.

‘When the price is good, I buy them from farmers for up to Rs 150 per kg,’ he said. ‘Even when the price is not good in the market, I buy them for Rs 100.’ According to him, the demand for lemons is also good in the market. The lemons he collects reach Banepa, Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan and other areas. 

Although lemon production is high, there is no progress in maize cultivation. That is, there is only normal production. Among the agricultural crops in Kavrepalanchok district, maize is the main crop. The production of maize, which is the main crop, seems to have fluctuated slightly annually.

According to the five-year data of the District Agricultural Development Office, Kavre, in the fiscal year 2077/78, 82,727 tons of maize were produced on an area of ​​24,875 hectares. Similarly, in the fiscal year 2078/078, 89,394 tons of maize were produced on an area of ​​24,915 hectares.

Gradually, the production area and production increased. In FY 2078/79, 89,670 tons of corn were produced on an area of ​​25,620 hectares. In FY 2080/81, 92,122 tons of corn were produced on an area of ​​25,480 hectares, while in FY 2081/82, 82,909 tons of corn were produced on an area of ​​25,338 hectares. The corn produced in the district is sold in local markets such as Banepa and Panauti, and some amount is taken to Kathmandu for sale.

In the last five years, lemon imports to the country have also decreased significantly. In FY 2077/78, 12,500 tons of lemons were imported, but imports have been decreasing in subsequent years. According to the data of the Customs Department, 10,625 tons of lemons were imported in FY 2078/079, 9,023 tons in FY 2079/80, and 7,719 tons in FY 2080/81. Only 6,651 tons of lemons were imported in 2081/82.

The federal government has been giving policy priority to developing lemon cultivation as an alternative and commercial fruit crop, said Dr. Januka Pandit, spokesperson and joint secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

Although there is no separate program or budget for lemon cultivation, various programs are being implemented by including it within the overall agricultural policy, she informed. According to her, the ministry has been addressing lemon cultivation under the fruit sector through policy documents such as the Agricultural Development Strategy, National Agricultural Policy, and Agribusiness Promotion Policy.

'There is no separate policy and program for lemons alone,' she said, 'but we have made policy arrangements by including all fruits, vegetables, and food crops.' The Department of Agriculture under the ministry and the National Fruit Development Center under it are the main bodies looking after the technical aspects of lemon cultivation. She said that the center is providing technical advice on lemon seedling production, distribution according to demand, and farming. 

Similarly, under the National Agricultural Modernization Program, a special zone has been designated for citrus (lemon) crops and a production promotion program has been launched, she said. Although farmers have been choosing lemon cultivation as an alternative crop due to crop damage caused by wild animals in recent times, the ministry has clarified that issues related to wildlife control and compensation do not fall within the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Issues such as wildlife control and compensation fall under the purview of the Ministry of Forests, the only thing agriculture can do is crop protection measures such as fences and hedges,' she said. She said that such crop protection programs will be implemented through the provincial and local levels. 

Although the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development of the Bagmati Province government has not formulated a separate policy for lemon cultivation, it has stated that it has included lemon cultivation under it, giving priority to the promotion of commercial fruit cultivation. Ministry spokesperson Sujan Kandel said that lemon cultivation is also being promoted through the Integrated Agricultural Development Program implemented with the aim of increasing fruit production at the provincial level. 

Spokesperson Kandel said that lemon cultivation has also been included in the fruit and orchard strengthening program under Section 30 of the Integrated Agricultural Development Program Implementation Procedure-2082 implemented by the provincial government. The main objective of the program is to increase production and productivity by making managerial improvements in old, dilapidated and low-productive fruit orchards.  

Although the federal government and the provincial government have not formulated a separate policy to promote lemon cultivation, the local level of Kavrepalanchok has put forward a special policy. Out of the 13 local levels in the district, local levels including Bethanchok Rural Municipality, Bhumlu Rural Municipality, Panchkhal Municipality, Chounrideurali Rural Municipality, Temal Rural Municipality, and Roshi Rural Municipality are especially involved in lemon cultivation. 

As conflicts between humans and wildlife are increasing, the government has not been able to come up with a concrete plan to control it. The government has started providing compensation for damage caused to agricultural crops by wild animals in recent years. The Division Forest Office, Kavrepalanchok, has said that the number of farmers demanding compensation has increased after the decision was made to provide compensation to farmers for damage caused by wild animals to agricultural crops. 

According to the office's 5-year report, the number of farmers demanding compensation for human, livestock and agricultural crop damage caused by wild animals has increased in Kavre in the last few years. In the fiscal year 2077/78, 125 farmers demanded compensation, of which Rs. 1,375,367 was provided. In the fiscal year 2078/79, 263 farmers demanded compensation, of which Rs. 2,770,174 was provided. 

In the fiscal year 2079/80, 385 farmers demanded compensation, of which Rs. 4,317,332 was provided. In the fiscal year 2080/81, 479 farmers demanded compensation, of which Rs. 508,000 was paid. In the fiscal year 2081/82, the number of farmers demanding compensation was significantly lower. In 2081/82, 1098,530 rupees were paid, according to the office's data. 

-Due to the threat of wild animals, a large number of farmers migrated from Faimarang and other settlements to Panauti and the city 

-Lemon farming provides more than double the income compared to corn, many farmers earn Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 700,000 annually 

-Since a single lemon plant bears fruit for 20-30 years, it has become a long-term and sustainable source of income for farmers 

-Local levels have announced lemon 'pocket areas', encouraged farmers through budget, plant distribution, and training 

–Lemons are sold for Rs 100-150 per kg, with the price even higher from dishes like pickles, candy, and tamarind