Low prices are a concern for betel nut farmers
Morang’s betel nut growers are concerned since production is down and prices have also dropped. Last year, farmers sold betel nuts for Rs. 70/kg; this year, they only received Rs. 50/kg. Paddy fields in Morang were destroyed by a surge of betel nut cultivation following two years of constant price increases. Letang Municipality-6 resident Hari Prasad Dhimal, who has been growing betel nut on 15 katthas of land, claimed to have made Rs. 250,000 for 10 katthas of betel nuts the previous year. Production has also dropped this year, and the price has dropped by Rs. 20/kg.
Just two years ago, Bhawani Acharya planted betel nuts on five more katthas of land, in addition to the seven katthas he had already planted. Acharya, however, is dissatisfied because this year’s betel nut price was poor. According to Sah, betel nuts are currently being bought for Rs. 60 per kilogram, up from Rs. 35 at the start of the year. Five years ago, 825 hectares of land in Morang were used for the cultivation of betel nuts, according to data from the Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Morang. Currently, 905 hectares of land are used for the cultivation of betel nuts. By the end of the upcoming fiscal year, the region is anticipated to grow even further, according to Deepa Dev, head of the Agricultural Knowledge Centre in Morang.
