Sweet orange production has surged in Ramechhap district this year.

Himal Tamang of Okhreni in Ramechhap Municipality-6 told RSS, the state-owned news agency, that the production of the citrus fruit has increased by 50 percent in his 15 ropani of land this season.

Farmers like Tamang in Himganga, Sukajor, Okhreni and Fulasi of Manthali of Ramechhap Municipalities have also witnessed the rise in production at their orchards. 

Chair of Junar Zone Operation Coordination Committee Gunja Bahadur Karki told RSS the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernisation Project has been working to promote Manthali and Ramechhap Municipalities as a sweet orange production zone. The project has provided farmers with grants, technical assistance, pesticides and vitamins, and tools.

Bhawani Basnet, a technician from the project office, said the fruits were grown on 520 hectares of land in the district last year. Of them, sweet oranges were grown on 422.5 hectares, orange on 78 hectares and lemon on 20.8 hectares. 

Last year, 4,380 tonnes of sweet oranges worth nearly Rs 200 million were produced in the district. The production this year is expected to exceed 4,411 tonnes, worth Rs 226 million.

This year, sweet oranges, oranges and lemons have been grown on 437 hectares, 81 hectares and 22 hectares, respectively. 

While the farmers sell sweet oranges at Rs 60 to Rs 75 per kg, depending on the size, from their orchards, they can sell it at the rate of Rs 100 to 120 per kg in the market.

RSS