Farmers in Rukum West are worried about the markets for the oranges they have produced in their field. About 15 quintals of oranges are ready for sale in Jhang, Jogikhorya and Machhapokhari villages of Musikot Municipality. Farmers are excited to see orange fruits after six years of planting. However, because the market for orange is yet to be fixed, they are worried that their excitement will be short-lived.
Jhuplal Khadka,70, said that five quintals of oranges are ready for sale in his orange grove in Jhang, but the market uncertainty has kept him awake at night. “Orange trees started giving seeds from last year. This year they have yielded more than expected,” he said but added that farmers were compelled to sell them at a cheaper price.
Khadka is the leading farmer in the village who commercially raises goats and cultivates ginger. Along with orange groves, he is cultivating lemons and cardamom. “Fencing the field to protect produced orange, lemon and cardamom is a big problem for a farmer engaged in commercial farming,” he said.
He has a plan to build a fence if he gets help from somewhere. Ekka Bahadur Khadka of Jogikhorya is also confused about the marketing of oranges. He said that even though the oranges of about 150 plants grown in the garden are saleable, they have not been able to find a market.
Like others, Keshav Joshi has grown oranges on about 250 trees. He said that even though the oranges were sold in small lots in the village, they could not get their actual price. “I was unable to make some money from this farming,” he lamented. He is also cultivating cardamom alongside orange. He said that he expects the local government or other agencies to facilitate on marketing.
Authorities in local government had pledged to support the farmers in the marketing of their produce. Dhan Bahadur Khadka, chairman in Musikot Municipality Ward-10, said that the government had taken initiative to support the farmers of the village to start production and they would also coordinate to find the market of their produce. According to him, about 15 quintals of oranges are saleable here and they will talk to the orange traders accordingly.
“The local government is ready to coordinate for marketing as it is time for farmers to get value for their sweat in the fields,” he added. He claimed that there should be no problem in the market as the road facility has reached the village. He added the local government was working on various agricultural activities to raise the economic level of residents through fruit farming and animal husbandry.
Source : TRN,
