ILAM: Deshraj Limbu of Mangsebung Rural Municipality-2 secured handsome income by selling ginger produced by his family last year.
He sold the main produce (young ginger) at Rs 4,500 per maund (40 kg). “The price of ginger was satisfactory last year, and the production was also good, so the income was also modest,” he said.
Ginger cultivated on five ropanis of land (one ropani is equivalent to 5,476 square feet) yielded 90 maunds of produce. This year, he has planted 20 maunds of ginger rhizomes, expecting to produce around 120 maunds. “If the price remains the same as last year, I hope to earn Rs 500 thousand this year.”
Another farmer from Mangsebung-2, Raj Kumar Rai, earned over Rs 200 thousand last year from the ginger supplies. He sold 50 maunds of medicinal spices at Rs 4,000 per maund. This time, he is determined to increase the produce. According to him, ginger farming is major source of family income.
The family depends on farming of ginger, the medicinal aromatic plant, to manage household expenses and children’s education fees. “Since we have increased the volume of cultivation (20 maunds) from this year, we hope to see some savings from next year,” Rai added.
Teju Rai of Mangsebung-3 is hopeful of good produces and rewarding income from the cultivation of 60 maunds. He has utsilied ten ropanis of land for commercial ginger farming. According to him, farmers in the district are gradually attracted to this aromatic plant, one of the major cash crops.
Now, the price of mature ginger has reached Rs 7,000 per 40 kilos. The Agricultural Knowledge Centre has said that prices of both young and mature ginger produces are expected and the farmers have been attracted to this cash crop.
Farmers here majorly cultivate three varieties of ginger: large, medium and small. The major production of mature ginger, which is sold until Bhadau (August-September) takes place mainly from Kattik (October-November) to Jeth (May-June).
Ilam Bazzar serves as the major supply hub for ginger produced in the district. The produce is supplied to markets in at Biblate, Mangalbare, Gajurmukhi, Chature, Mangsebung, Pashupatinagar, Danbari, Harkate and others.
According to the centre, commercial ginger cultivation is taking place on 3,221 hectares of area in Ilam. Last year, 50,620 metric tonnes of ginger were produced in the district.
