SYANGJA: Syangja district has recorded orange production worth more than Rs 1.32 billion this year, according to the National Agricultural Modernization Program’s Implementation Unit.
Information Officer Pratibha Budhathoki Chhetri said a total of 23,238 metric tons of oranges were produced in the district, with bulk sales averaging Rs 57 per kilogram. Compared to last year, production increased by around Rs 200 million. In the previous year, Syangja produced 20,084 metric tons of oranges.
Productivity has also improved. This year’s yield stood at 16.37 tons per hectare, up from 14.66 tons per hectare last year. Of the total output, about 90 percent is sold in the market, while the remaining 10 percent is used for household consumption, gifts, and local purposes. Of this year’s production, 20,882 metric tons are considered marketable.
The area under orange cultivation has expanded as well. Orange orchards covered 2,400 hectares this year, an increase of 150 hectares compared to last year. The productive area rose from 1,370 hectares to 1,420 hectares, while the area under growing orchards increased by 100 hectares, from 880 to 980 hectares.
Syangja was declared a Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernization Project Zone in fiscal year 2073/74 BS and later upgraded to a superzone in 2075/76 BS. Following the superzone declaration and its implementation, farmers have shown growing interest in commercial orange farming.
Orange cultivation in the district is increasingly being developed as a primary source of income. Farming that was once limited to subsistence and household needs has expanded into commercial production. Farmers are now converting sloping and marginal land, previously used for other crops or left unused, into orange orchards.
Major orange-producing areas include Putalibazaar, Waling, Bhirkot and Galyang municipalities, as well as Andhikhola, Phedikhola, Biruwa and Arjunchaupari rural municipalities. Oranges produced in Syangja are supplied to major markets such as Kathmandu, Butwal, Pokhara and Narayangadh, with traders often purchasing directly from orchards.
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