File Photo: RSS
KATHMANDU: The government has declared orange as the national fruit. A cabinet meeting held on Friday took the decision.
Earlier, the National Citrus Fruit Development Center under the National Center for Fruit Development had recommended that the government declare orange as the national fruit. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) had forwarded a proposal for the same to the cabinet in 2018/19.
According to the MoALD, oranges are cultivated over an area of one million hectares in Nepal. Sabnam Shivakoti, the spokesperson for the MoALD, said Nepal annually produces 1.77 million tons of oranges.
There is no exact data on the annual demand for oranges in Nepal. “I think Nepal is near self-sufficiency in oranges. Even if we are not self-sufficient, the national fruit recognition will encourage farmers,” she added.
However, data suggests otherwise. According to the Department of Customs, Nepal imported oranges and citrus products worth Rs 1.5 billion in the fiscal year 2022/23. Imports over the first eight months of 2023/24 have already reached Rs 1.1 billion.
Citrus fruit varieties like mandarin orange, sweet orange, acid lime, hill lemon, pomelo and citron are grown in Nepal.
Citrus fruit exports, however, are negligible. According to the Department of Customs, Nepal exported citrus fruits worth Rs 310,000 in 2022/23. Likewise, Nepal exported frozen orange juice worth Rs 878.42 million.
Shivakoti said citrus fruits produced in Nepal are being exported to India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, among other countries, through unofficial channels.
According to the ministry, citrus fruits are cultivated in 66 districts, while commercial farming is being done in 50 districts. More than 198,000 farmers are involved in citrus fruit farming.
Varieties like mandarin orange, sweet orange, acid lime, hill lemon, pomelo, and citron are grown in Nepal. According to the center, Nepal produces citrus fruits worth around Rs 3 billion annually.
Nepal has certified 81 fruits as edible so far. About 60 of them are grown commercially in different parts of the country. While fruits like mango, banana, and litchi are grown in the lowlands of the Terai, citrus fruits are cultivated in the mid-hills region. Similarly, fruits like walnuts and apples are farmed in the Himalayan region.
