Farmers in Ilam secure substantial income from ginger farming

ILAM: Farmers in Ilam are securing substantial income from commercial ginger cultivation, according to local growers and officials.

Deshraj Limbu of Mangsebung Rural Municipality-2 sold young ginger last year at Rs 4,500 per maund (40 kg) after harvesting 90 maunds from five ropanis of land. He has planted 20 maunds of ginger rhizomes this year and expects to produce about 120 maunds. "If the price remains the same as last year, I hope to earn Rs 500,000 this year," he said.

Another farmer from Mangsebung-2, Raj Kumar Rai, earned more than Rs 200,000 last year by selling 50 maunds of medicinal ginger at Rs 4,000 per maund. Rai said ginger farming is a major source of family income and that increasing cultivation should allow the family to save. "Since we have increased the volume of cultivation from this year, we hope to see some savings from next year," he said.

Teju Rai of Mangsebung-3 has devoted 10 ropanis to commercial ginger and expects a yield of 60 maunds. Officials say farmers in the district are increasingly turning to the aromatic crop, noting that the price of mature ginger has reached Rs 7,000 per 40 kilos.

The Agricultural Knowledge Centre said prices for both young and mature ginger are favourable and that farmers are being drawn to the cash crop. Farmers in Ilam mainly cultivate three varieties of ginger: large, medium and small. Major production of mature ginger, which is sold until Bhadra (August–September), takes place from Kartik (October–November) to Jestha (May–June).

Ilam Bazaar serves as the main supply hub for the district’s ginger, which is distributed to markets in Biblate, Mangalbare, Gajurmukhi, Chature, Mangsebung, Pashupatinagar, Danbari and Harkate.

According to the centre, commercial ginger cultivation covers 3,221 hectares in Ilam, and last year the district produced 50,620 metric tonnes of ginger.

(With inputs from RSS)