A winter fruit tree grafting program has been launched in Amargadhi Municipality-2 of Dadeldhura.

The program organized by the Agricultural Knowledge Center Dadeldhura aims to increase fruit production by utilizing forest areas and reduce the damage suffered by farmers due to monkeys. Under the program, pear seedlings have been grafted onto 'Mel' trees that grew naturally in the forest. According to Narendra Paneru, head of the Agricultural Knowledge Center Dadeldhura, grafting fruit trees onto wild trees is expected to have double benefits. 'On the one hand, locals can enjoy fruits like pears, while on the other hand, food is available for monkeys in the forest,' he said. 'When enough fruits are found in the forest, the damage caused by monkeys entering the fields and destroying agricultural produce such as corn, potatoes, and vegetables is significantly reduced.'

The problem of monkeys has become serious in recent years in the hilly districts of the Far West, including Dadeldhura. Especially when monkeys enter fields near settlements, the farmers' hard work is wiped out in an instant. Some farmers have started giving up farming after repeatedly suffering losses. The Agricultural Knowledge Center has stated that the program to expand fruit plants in wild areas has been taken as a long-term solution to reduce such problems.