Doti, Oct 26: The District Agriculture Knowledge Centre has started expanding kiwi plantations in Badikedar and Jorayal rural municipalities. Kiwi plantation have also been started in Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality, as well as Adarshan and Bogtan Phungsil Rural Municipalities under the ‘winter fruit farming expansion’ programme.
Ganga Dutta Awasthi, Chief of the Centre, informed that farmers are becoming interested in growing kiwi, also known as Chinese gooseberry, as a kiwi vine can bear fruits for over 25 years after planting.
Hem Bahadur Malla from Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality-6 has been growing Chinese gooseberries for nine years. He started with nine saplings, which have now grown to 40 vines.
“I had to be patience for the first four years, but now they are producing fruits,” he shared. “Currently, I earn over Rs 200,000 annually by selling kiwifruit,” he added. One grown plant bears the fruit fetching Rs 30 to Rs 40,000 in a year in the beginning.
“At first, it was difficult to find market for kiwi in the district. People would taste it before buying,” he recalled. “But now, demand is increasing even from outside the district. Consumers and buyers themselves come to the orchard to buy the produce,” he said.
The deciduous plant requires regular pruning, for which the Knowledge Centre provides training regularly. They also help farmers expand their plants and increase their harvest.
Similarly, Bhaskar Bhatta from Jorayal Rural Municipality-1 has been involved in kiwi farming, tending over 500 plants. He started the venture after watching a YouTube video seven years ago. Currently, he has 65 kiwi plants.
The Agriculture Knowledge Centre provided him with 55 saplings, and he purchased the rest. “I have harvested nearly four quintals of kiwifruits. I’ve partnered with a supermarket in Dhangadhi for sales,” he shared.
He does not foresee any issues with marketing this fruit. The daily demand in the district is around 10 to 15 kgs, according to Bhatta. He is hopeful that he will be able to grow up to 60 quintals of kiwi next year.
Kiwi has a slight acid taste and can be eaten both raw and ripe. It is rich in vitamin C.
The Knowledge Centre shared that, like Malla and Bhatta, the number of people involved in commercial farming of Chinese gooseberry has been increasing in the district. There are currently four farms operating in the district, with over 1,000 kiwi plants. #kiwi #nepal #doti #rss
