The southern part of West Nawalparasi is famous for sugarcane cultivation. However, the sugar industry did not pay on time and due to the lack of pricing according to the investment, the farmers of this region turned to banana cultivation. Farmers who are engaged in banana cultivation in the hope of getting more profit than sugarcane and getting a better market are now worried that bananas are not getting the price.

When Indian bananas entered Nepal cheaply, the bananas produced by Nepali farmers started rotting in the garden without finding a market.  Bananas have started rotting in the garden while farmers are waiting for a reasonable price for bananas.

Chekhmayan Ghale of Susta rural municipality-5 used to sell bananas up to seven lakhs earlier. However, this year she has sold only 40,000 bananas. He did not even sell the bananas that were ready for sale when the trader said that he would come to the plantation to buy bananas, but would only pay 10 to 15 rupees per dozen.

'Earlier, bananas used to be sold for 40/50 rupees during the festival. However, now traders have come to buy bananas cheaply without paying the expenses. She said, "We should stop Indian bananas and find a market for Nepali bananas." I don't sell cheap bananas. Instead, it decays and becomes manure.

Santosh Kohiri of Pratappur also has the same pain. This is his main source of income as he cultivates bananas in about 2 bighas. He, who had farmed on loan, now has to pay the interest due to the failure of the produce. We started farming to do something in our country. If we had gone abroad, we would not have received the loan.'' He complained, 'If the government does not encourage Nepali production by stopping the import of bananas from India, we will be displaced.

The government has designated banana production zones in Pratappur and Susta in the district. However, Lakhkhu Yadav, president of Banana Growers' Association Nawalparasi, said that the state has not been able to address the farmers' suffering in the zone area itself. Although cheap bananas are imported from India, consumers are not able to use cheap bananas. Farmers are complaining that the bananas of Nepali farmers are not sold, the consumers are not getting cheap bananas and middlemen are making profit. 

'In the district, 1 thousand 825 bigha of bananas are cultivated and this year the area has increased by 10 percent, but due to lack of price, the bananas rotted in the garden.' Yadav said,  "Out of 1,425 metric tons of bananas produced, more than half of them rotted in the field."

Some farmers are selling bananas even though they are cheap. Even if there is no profit, the businessmen are forced to sell at the stated price even if it is to pay the loan. 

Memo to administration to stop import of Indian bananas 

The banana farmers of West Nawalparasi have submitted a memorandum to the district administration office demanding to stop the import of Indian bananas saying that Nepali bananas are not getting the market price. Banana Growers Association Nawalparasi submitting memorandum to Chief District Officer Hiralal Regmi  Now they have demanded to stop the import of bananas from India saying that Nepali products will fill the market.