The Ministry of Agricultural Development has launched the 'Orange Zone Program' in Nawalparasi.
The program covers the east (Bardghat Susta) hilly areas of the district. Under this program, farmers will be provided with seeds and agriculture machinery at subsidized rates, according to Tej Narayan Gaire, Chief of the District Agricultural Development Office, Nawalparasi.
Meanwhile, Nawalparasi's orange farmers have earned a good profit this year. Farmers said that they earned Rs 1,000 on average by selling oranges per tree. The east hilly land of Nawalparasi is famous for orange farming and Bungdikali and Bulingtar areas are known as 'pocket area' for orange production.
Farmers need not take their produce to the market for sale as suppliers collect fruits reaching the field after every village here is connected by the agriculture road.
This year, farmers pocketed Rs 60-70 per kg of oranges. Oranges produced in the district's hilly areas have a better market in Butwal and Pokhara besides the district.
Some 1,000 households here are directly or indirectly dependent on orange farming as means of income. The Office records show that in 120 hectares of land, a total of 354 metric tons of orange was produced this year.
