Sigana Village Earns Rs 40 Million from Orange Sales

Baglung, Feb 3: Farmers of Sigana village in Baglung Municipality–8 have recorded impressive earnings from orange farming this year, with total sales reaching around Rs 40 million, marking a significant rise from Rs 35 million last year.

Local orange farmer Ananta Khadka said his income jumped from Rs 500,000 last year to Rs 750,000 this season, reflecting growing production and demand. Like many others in the village, farmers sold their oranges directly to traders in bulk from their orchards.

According to locals, more than 100 farmers in Sigana earned between Rs 100,000 and Rs 700,000 each from orange sales this year, while several other households are also benefiting from commercial citrus farming. The Ganesh Agricultural Cooperative has been maintaining records of orange production and sales in the village.

Sigana oranges are supplied to major markets including Pokhara, Kathmandu, Chitwan and other cities. Villagers began shifting to commercial orange farming nearly three decades ago and have since expanded cultivation rapidly.

Leading farmer Shiva Kumar Khadka said the cooperative was established to promote orange farming by expanding cultivation areas and providing saplings to farmers at subsidised rates. Chairman of the Ganesh Agricultural Cooperative, Ram Bahadur Khadka, attributed this year’s increased production to favourable weather conditions and the absence of major plant diseases.