Rewati Bhattarai, a young woman from Panena, Panini Rural Municipality-1, has 535 orange trees in her garden. Last year, she sold 170 quintals and made a turnover of Rs 900,000. This year, she estimates that she will produce up to 200 quintals as some new and old trees have borne fruit well.

Ripe fruits have started to be picked from the plants and sold in the market. Butwal businessman Jivlal Pandey has booked the oranges in his garden before they ripen. ‘We only produce them, the traders come to their homes and book them as soon as the green fruits appear,’ he said. ‘We only take care of the booked plants and protect the fruits.’ There is talk of picking oranges from Poush 15 to pack them in cartons, and we are picking some and sending them to the market.’

After picking them from the plants, the same traders pack them in cartons and take them to Butwal by car. The wholesale price of oranges is negotiated during picking. Last year, they were sold at Rs 60 per kilogram. Now they are being sold at Rs 70. After passing grade 12, he was employed abroad for a few years.

A decade ago, he returned home and planted oranges in his grain fields. Since the market was good, he has planted orange trees in all his fields. Bhattarai has built a two-and-a-half-story concrete house in Shimla with the earnings from oranges. ‘Orange farming has changed my life here compared to abroad,’ he said. ‘No matter how much I produce, it doesn’t mean it won’t sell.’ Even when the seeds are green, traders come to my house and book the plants, so I don’t even have to go to the market to sell.’

After retiring as an agricultural technician, Dadhiram Gautam has been enjoying orange farming at home for the past five years. He said that the income from oranges is three times more than his pension. This year, 250 fruit-bearing trees in his field have been booked. He said that he has sold all of them, leaving four or five trees for his family and guests. ‘Traders from Butwal, Palpa, Pokhara call and come to your house to see and buy,’ he said, ‘Orange traders who book in this way bring their vehicles home and take them . There is no need to sell on credit .’

The orange seeds picked from the tree are sorted and packed in cartons . The traders pack the largest, medium and small seeds separately and take them . Gautam said that the traders contract the garden by fixing the price according to the size of the seeds . 

Panini-2 Ward Chairman Chandrakant Poudel, along with his responsibilities as a public representative, also takes care of the orange garden . The traders have also booked his garden . ‘Many plants have increased their production compared to last year,’ he said, ‘There has been no frost, no pests, and this year’s income will increase.’ Out of 600 in the orchard, 350 fruit-bearing plants have grown in full swing. He is waiting to harvest the fruits grown on the plants, wondering how much they have been able to sell this year.

Every household in Panini-1 Salleri Tole has an orange garden. After demand and income improved, they have abandoned grain and planted oranges in their fields. To organize farming and gather support, they have formed a Pakhapani farmer group. Out of 45 households that cultivate oranges, 30 have joined the group.

Tuk Bahadur Darlami is the one who cultivates a lot of oranges in this village. Last year, he earned Rs 350,000 from 150 fruit-bearing plants. ‘Oranges are an agricultural business that provides reliable and continuous income,’ said Darlami, who is also a ward member, ‘Our entire village of Salleri has become an orange farm. The village’s fields are not barren due to oranges, and migration is also very low.’ He said that farmers from the

group will gather and discuss methods for planting, growing, fertilizing, and growing large seeds of oranges. Last year, two tanks were built by the Agricultural Knowledge Center. One holds 1,500 liters of water. The same water is used to irrigate the orange trees. He said that more tanks will be built. He said that oranges will give good profits if the fertilizing is properly maintained.

The income from oranges has made it easier for many to pay for their household expenses, educate their children, and improve their household finances. Another young farmer, Bishnu Bhattarai, said that the income could increase from last year as oranges have started ripening this year and have yielded good fruit.