Rokaya earns Rs 5 lakh annually from banana farming

लगानी न्यूज

२८ आश्विन २०८२, मंगलवार ११:५८October 14, 2025

Dang. Bhanubhakta Rokaya, a resident of Chhoki Sisahaniya in Rapti Rural Municipality-5, has been involved in banana farming for the past eight years. He has been earning up to Rs 5 lakh annually from banana farming.

Rokaya said that at a time when the practice of farming using chemical fertilizers is developing, banana farming is thinking that it will make the soil fertile and also earn income.TAG_OPEN_div_26

} “I started this business seeing that my income from banana is more than other farming,” he said, “Earlier I used to run a fancy business, now I have left that business and started banana farming.” He said that the farming which was started on a trial basis has now been expanded to two bighas of land. He said that preparations are being made to expand banana farming in another one and a half bigha of land from this year.

Stating that he has been cultivating bananas of Zinine and Malbhog breeds, Rokaya said that most of the farmers in Sisahaniya village have started banana farming.TAG_OPEN_div_22 He said that the banana business was very good last year and he would earn four to five lakh rupees in a season. “This year, Indian bananas have covered the Nepali market. The price of Nepali bananas has gone down as these bananas determine the price of Nepali bananas,” he said.

Traders have fixed the price at the rate of Rs 20-25 per dozen, which has affected the farmers, according to Rokaya.TAG_OPEN_div_20 “We have been facing problems in selling bananas from India as the bananas are cheaper and the products produced here are not sold,” he said. He stressed that the local level and the provincial government should provide technical and special support. We have to be farmers, experts and businessmen ourselves, this is adding to the problem. It would have been easier to farm if the local and state governments provided technical support,” he said.

According to Rokaya, a banana promotion farmers’ group has been formed here.TAG_OPEN_div_18 He said that the group has been holding discussions about the problems of the farmers and seeking ways of resolving them. According to him, traders from Tulsipur, Ghorahi and Lamahi, Butwal have been providing employment to three locals for selling, pruning, caring and fertilising.

According to Nawaraj Bhandari, chief of Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Dang, commercial banana farming was done in 730 hectares of land in the fiscal year 2081/82 BS.TAG_OPEN_div_16 According to the annual report of the center, 9,973 metric tons of bananas were produced in the district.

He said that there is a lot TAG_OPEN_div_14 of potential for banana farming in the district. Stating that the number of banana farmers is increasing in recent period, he said market demand for banana is also increasing. Bhandari said that the office has been providing grants to the farmers for the expansion of farming.