Farmers in Dhankuta have been worried about not getting a suitable market price for their ginger as it is considered as an attractive cash crop.
Though this is a high season of ginger, locals are not getting a preferable price in the market these days and are worried about the low price.
They are finding hard to sell the gingers in Indian markets as traders were not found eager to export the productions raising the question in the quality, said Narendra Rai, a local of Chhintang Shahid Bhumi Rural Municipality.
The farmers are worried as they were failing to sell the ginger at a lower price as well. Traders are denying buying per kilogram ginger at Rs 20 too.
A local, Damodar Subedi of Dhankuta Municipality-9 complained that they used to buy salt, cooking oil, rice and other foodstuffs after selling the gingers but they were waiting for a good price this time.
The price of 1 kg ginger was Rs 100 in the Indian market last year. Thakur Man Limbu of Budhi Morang had left teaching profession after involving in ginger farming expecting to income handsome money, is found upset with the fall in ginger price.
He had earned Rs 1.5 million by selling the ginger last year. He added that about 300 households are badly affected with the fall of ginger price in the district.
According to the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), ginger farming in around 250 hectares of land in the district that had produced around 3,512 metric tons of ginger which were exported to India last year.
The price of per kg ginger was Rs 90 to 150 in the district last year but the price has dropped notably this year affecting the livelihood of farmers.
