Mahesh Acharya, head of the District Agricultural Development Office, Salyan, said that there has been a decline in orange production of 1,200 metric tons across the district.
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Krishna Dangi of Bagchaur Municipality-9, Kotmaula has planted 1,500 orange trees in 40 ropanis. Out of which, 1,200 trees are bearing fruit. Last year, he earned Rs 4.2 million by selling oranges. However, this time, production has declined after the plants got infected with a disease. He said that due to the decrease in production as the plants dried up, he earned only Rs 3 million this year.
Lok Bahadur Dangi of Kotmaula has planted more than 1,000 orange trees in 40 ropanis. Initially, the orange production was good. Every year, he used to earn up to Rs 2.8 million by selling oranges. Recently, he has not been able to earn as much as he expected due to the problems of leaves turning yellow and falling, branches drying up, and fruit falling. According to him, this time, production has decreased by half.
The income of farmers cultivating commercial oranges across the district has declined. Farmers say that production has declined by 25 percent compared to last year. They say that orange production has declined due to ping disease, citrus greening disease and failure to manage the orchards. Oranges are cultivated on 1,675 hectares across the district. Last year, 8,602 metric tons of oranges were produced. 4,996 metric tons of oranges worth Rs. 411.3 million were sold from the district.
This year, 7,400 metric tons of oranges were produced in the same area. Only 4,500 metric tons worth Rs. 390 million were sold outside the district. On this basis, 1,200 metric tons less oranges were produced this year compared to last year. In the district, 2,000 farmers from various places including Kotmaula, Khali of Bagchaur Municipality, Dahakhola, Damachaur of Chhatreswari Rural Municipality, Phalabang of Triveni, Kajeri, Ratamata of Sharda Municipality and other municipalities have been cultivating oranges commercially.
More than 400 farmers have been directly affected by the decline in production due to the disease. Farmers who cultivate oranges commercially are becoming worried as the orange trees are drying up due to the disease. Bharatnath Yogi of Dangi village, Kotmaula said that orange production has decreased for the past few years due to various diseases. He said that orange production in his garden has decreased by more than 30 percent this year. He said that due to this, there has been a loss of about 10/12 lakhs. Despite the decline in production, farmers who sold oranges for Rs 60/70 per kg last year are selling oranges for Rs 100 per kg this year, he said. Mahesh Acharya, head of the District Agricultural Development Office, Salyan, said that there has been a decline in orange production of 1,200 metric tons across the district. He informed that the decline in orange production is mainly due to diseases and farmers' inability to manage the orchards. According to him, the decline in production is 25 percent. Although farmers are cultivating oranges commercially in all parts of the district, Kotmaula has seen the highest decline in production. He said that farmers have suffered a loss of Rs 20 million more this year due to the decline in production compared to last year. More than a thousand farmers across the district are cultivating oranges commercially. Bagchaur Municipality Agriculture Branch Chief Ghanshyam KC said that while orange production is higher in Ward 3, Khali and Ward 7/8, Kotmaula, the decline in production is mainly due to diseases.
