Syangja, Nepal's leading orange-producing district, recorded orange production valued at Rs 1.32 billion, equivalent to about US$10.0 million, in the current fiscal year.
Oranges were cultivated on 2,400 hectares in the district, of which 1,420 hectares are fruit-bearing. Total production reached 23,238 tons this season. Based on an average market price of Rs 57 per kilogram, the total output value was calculated at Rs 1.32 billion.
According to the Orange Super Zone, Syangja, operating under the National Agriculture Modernisation Project, production value this fiscal year was Rs 200 million higher than the previous year. The cultivated area expanded from 2,250 hectares last year to 2,400 hectares this season.
The increase was attributed to favourable weather conditions, expansion of cultivated land, and a higher number of fruit-bearing trees. Ajay Adhikari, chief of the Orange Super Zone, Syangja, said productivity improved because there was no hailstorm during flowering and fruiting and no major disease or pest outbreaks.
Of total output, 10 per cent or about 2,356 tons was consumed within the district, while the remaining 20,882 tons were supplied to markets across the country, according to the Orange Super Zone Office. The main destination markets were Pokhara, Kathmandu, Chitwan, and Butwal. Lower volumes were sent to Butwal this year due to cold weather conditions.
Adhikari said orange production in Syangja is expected to continue increasing as more trees enter the fruit-bearing stage and the cultivated area expands, provided weather conditions remain favourable.
Commercial orange farming is carried out across all 11 local units of Syangja. Putalibazar, Bhirkot, Waling, and Galyang municipalities, along with Arjunchaupari Rural Municipality, have been designated as pocket areas. In addition, Phedikhola, Aandhikhola, and Biruwa rural municipalities have been declared new pocket areas to support expansion, according to Bodhraj Aryal, chairperson of the Orange Super Zone Implementation Committee.
Farm income from orange cultivation ranges from Rs 25,000 to Rs 5.5 million per household annually. Orange trees typically begin bearing fruit within five years of planting, while grafted saplings can produce fruit within three years.
Source: The Rising Nepal
