CHITWAN: Storm has caused significant damage to banana plantations across Chitwan, with preliminary estimates putting losses at over Rs 40 million.
According to Mahesh Regmi, Chief of the National Agriculture Modernization Program Implementation Unit, affected areas were monitored over two days, covering 20 farms.
The worst-hit locations include wards 7 and 23 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, wards 5, 12, and 14 of Ratnanagar Municipality, ward 13 of Khairahani Municipality, and wards 2 to 5 of Kalika Municipality. Damage to plantations ranges from 1 percent to as high as 88 percent in some farms, with overall losses estimated at 43.35 percent.
Regmi said commercial banana varieties were the most affected, accounting for 78 percent of the damage, while 22 percent involved local varieties. Bananas are cultivated on around 1,800 hectares in the district.
Bishnu Hari, coordinator of the Banana Superzone Chitwan, said farmers are facing additional hardship due to delays in insurance claims. He noted that compensation from last year is still pending, and farmers have already filed claims worth around Rs 40 million for the current losses. However, final figures may take time as not all farmers have insurance coverage.
Similarly, Ghananath Mahato, chairperson of the Chitwan Banana Producers Association, said the early arrival of strong winds this year has caused heavy losses to commercial farmers. Banana cultivation currently spans about 2,000 hectares in the district, with around 700 farmers involved.
Local farmer Baburam Bhatta of Ratnanagar Municipality-11 reported severe damage to his six bighas of leased farmland. He said most of his banana plants were knocked down just before harvest, forcing him to incur additional labor costs for clearing the fields.
According to official data, average production stands at 24 tons per hectare for ‘Malbhog’ bananas and 55 tons per hectare for G9 varieties.
Comment