Urlabari, Mar. 25: Betel nut farmers in Morang are worried as the price has also fallen while production is declining.

Farmers who sold betel nut at a rate of Rs. 70 per kg last year received only Rs. 50 per kg this year. 

After the price had increased continuously for the past two years, there was a wave of betel nut cultivation in Morang, destroying paddy fields. Betel nut is intensively cultivated in Letang Municipality, Miklajung and Kerabari Rural Municipality in northern Morang.

Hari Prasad Dhimal of Letang Municipality-6, who has been cultivating betel nut in 15 katthas of land, said that he earned Rs. 250,000 for 10 katthas of betel nuts last year. 

This year, production has also decreased and the price has also decreased by Rs. 20 per kg, he said.

According to him, he had extended area of betel nut cultivation to 10 kattha of land from the existing five katthas after receiving high prices for two consecutive years. 

Bhawani Acharya of the same place, who planted betel nuts in seven katthas of land, planted betel nut in additional five katthas of land just two years ago. 

However, Acharya is disappointed after not getting good price of betel nut this year. 

Acharya said, “When the betel nut supplied in the processing site, it was found that the betel nuts were sold for Rs. 60 per kg. The traders who come to the fields do not pay more than Rs. 50 per kg.”

Khagendra Raj Bhandari of Phadani in Letang Municipality-2 had made an income of Rs. 130,000 from the sale of betel nut produced in 100 plants last year. This year, the contract was signed for the sale of produce at Rs. 90,000, he said.

Sarkhanu Sah, operator of Mahalaxmi Betel Nut Processing Centre, Urlabari-3, Mangalbare, said they have been purchasing betel nut at Rs. 60 per kg from the farmers if they bring them to the processing centre. 

Sah said that betel nuts, which were purchased at Rs. 35 per kg at the beginning of this year, are now being purchased at Rs. 60. 

Sah, who is selling 30 tonnes of processed betel nuts annually, said that he is unable to meet the demand of traders.

According to the statistics of the Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Morang, betel nuts were cultivated on 825 hectares of land in Morang five years ago. Currently, betel nut cultivation is being done on 905 hectares of land. 

Deepa Dev, head of the Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Morang, said that the area is expected to increase further by the end of the coming fiscal year. 

Since June 2024, the farmers and production area of ​​betel nut have increased. 

According to Dev, around 2,949 tonnes of betel nut were produced in Morang in the fiscal year 2024/25. This production is 1.54 tonnes more than the previous fiscal year.