Kiwi cultivation expands in Dadeldhura as farmers face falling market prices

Dadeldhura: Kiwi cultivation is expanding across Dadeldhura, with the number of farmers engaged in commercial production also increasing.

According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center, kiwi is currently cultivated on 23 hectares of land in the district. Narendra Paneru, chief of the center, said the district produced 19 metric tons of kiwi in the last fiscal year, up from 10 metric tons cultivated on 19 hectares in the preceding year.

Despite rising production, farmers say market prices have been declining. Prajapati Paneru, a farmer from Chirkitte in Amargadhi Municipality-3, said kiwi that sold for more than Rs 400 per kilogram five years ago now fetches around Rs 150 per kilogram. Traders from markets in Kailali and Kanchanpur often purchase the fruit directly from farmers’ orchards.

Laxman Thapa Magar, from Lamitunda in Alital Rural Municipality-2, began kiwi farming in 2015 (2072 BS) after bringing 116 saplings from Dolakha. His orchard now contains more than 300 kiwi plants, and he also operates a kiwi nursery. Last year, he sold 75 quintals of kiwi.

Similarly, Khadak Thapa Magar, a retired Nepal Army member from Kusmali in Amargadhi Municipality-2, is engaged in both kiwi cultivation and nursery operations. He sells red and yellow kiwifruit saplings for Rs 200 each and green kiwifruit saplings for Rs 150 each.

To promote kiwi cultivation, the Agriculture Knowledge Center provides a 50 percent subsidy for orchard management, trellis construction, and the purchase of fertilizers and saplings. According to the center, Rs 1.5 million was spent on managing and promoting kiwi orchards during the last fiscal year.

Although kiwi cultivation continues to expand, farmers face challenges in securing fair prices and accessing markets. They say that improving market reach and ensuring reasonable prices alongside rising production could make kiwi farming in the district more commercially viable.