Orange growers in Devghat Rural Municipality–3 report ongoing difficulties moving their fruit to market due to limited road access and the absence of concrete bridges. Producers say these constraints continue to affect marketing logistics, even though orchards in the ward supply major destinations such as Tanahun, Pokhara, Chitwan, and Kathmandu.
Large volumes are produced in Chhipiphe, Batak, Chapswanra, Dagara, and Lungring. Farmer Rana Bahadur Magar said the challenge has persisted for years. He explained that households depend heavily on orange production for income, but the ward is surrounded by the Kaligandaki, Setimadi, and Trishuli rivers without a single concrete bridge to enable direct transport.
Although output declined this season due to disease in orange trees, growers reported an increase of around 30 per cent in earnings. Prem Bahadur Magar said oranges were sent to market earlier than usual this year, selling at around Rs 1,400 per crate, equal to roughly US$10.50 at prevailing exchange rates.
Producers said porter-based transport remains costly, and the absence of bridges at Naldi and Gaighat forces long detours through Kota, Baidi, and Sarangghat before routing fruit to Kathmandu via Damauli. Farmer Bhim Bahadur Rana noted that growers often pay nearly double transport costs because no direct routes exist. Some transport fruit by jeep to Gaighat on the Muglin–Narayangadh road and then carry it across a suspension bridge to reach the highway.
With no road access in several hamlets, growers rely on middlemen to supply markets in Damauli, Muglin, Narayangadh, and Kathmandu. In Lungring, a single household is reported to sell oranges worth up to Rs 2 million, equivalent to about US$15,000 per season.
Source: Khabarhub
