By Homeraj Ranabhat

Buligantar (Nawalparasi) Nov. 5: Orange farming as a cash crop is flourishing in East Nawalparasi this year and its production is also expected to increases significantly.
Bhim Bahadur Sunari Magar, an orange farmer of Dadanjheri, said that the orange trees in East Nawalparasi have produced good yield this year due to good rains during the flowering season.
According to farmer Jaya Bahadur Birkatta, the production would be better this year due to the favourable weather.
He said that production of oranges in the hilly areas of Buligantar and Baudikali villages has been good after the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Programme was launched in the district for the last three years.
Farmers said that the yield would be better this year as the orange trees had better grains and less windy rains than last year.
Bishnu Prasad Sharma, Chief of the Prime Minister Agriculture Project, said that the programme has been started for the past three years to further promote the cultivation of oranges targeting the orange farmers here.
The programme has been started in 6 wards of Buligantar Gaunpalika, 4 wards of Baudikali Gaunpalika, ward no. 6 of Debchuli Municipality and ward no. 5 of Hupsekot Gaunpalika, Sharma said.
He said that the project would provide all the services, including seed subsidy and machinery tools to the orange farmers in subsidy.
Secretary of the Farmers 'Producers' Association Gunj Bahadur Ale Magar said that the production of oranges would be better this year as compared to last year after the implementation of the project.
The orange farmers in the hilly region of Nawalparasi sold oragnes worth Rs. 40 million last year and this year it is estimated to produce oranges worth Rs. 70 million, they said.
Although oranges are produced and sold at an average rate of Rs 1,000 per plant in the area, it will increase this year due to good fruit production, said Gyan Bahadur Phal Magar, an orange farmer of Dadanjheri.
About 3,400 farmers are involved in orange cultivation in 14 wards including ten wards of two Gaunpalika and five wards under the eastern hilly region of East Nawalparasi.
Out of which, the areas of Vaudikali and Bulingtar villages are considered as pocket areas for orange cultivation.
Apart from this, orange cultivation is also good in some wards of Dhurkot, Ratanpur and Binai Tribeni.
Farmers said that the oranges grown in the hilly areas of East Nawalparasi have found a good market in East Nawalparasi, Butwal, Pokhara and other places.
In the hilly region of East Nawalparasi, about 3,400 households are directly and indirectly engaged in orange cultivation.
East Nawalparasi produced 750 tonnes of oranges last year, but this year it will produce 1,000 tonnes, according to the Farmers Producers Committee.