At least 3,100 banana trees planted at Jutpani in Kalika Municipality-6, Chitwan have been mysteriously cut down and destroyed by unknown people on Sunday night.

The incident has caused a massive loss to banana farmers who were counting on this year’s produce to earn a living.

Banana Producers’ Association Chairman Bishnu Hari Pant informed that the farmers came to know about the incident on Monday morning. “We have lodged a complaint at police station demanding the police administration identify the perpetrators and take action against them,” said Pant, “Anyone involved in this incident must be immediately caught and brought to justice and the farmers who have incurred loss should be compensated properly.”

According to Chairman Pant, banana plantation of 12 farmers has been destroyed in the incident causing a loss amounting to Rs 1.5 million. A banana farmer earns around Rs 500 after selling the fruit from one tree.

The banana plantation of Kopila Dahal of Kalika-6 has incurred the maximum loss. Dahal informed that she had planted 1,400 banana trees in her 10 kattha land and around 1,300 of them have been cut down. “The perpetrators have even cut down and destroyed the bananas that were ripe,” said Dahal, “I don’t know what spurred the perpetrators to cut down all of my banana trees.”

The locals said maize plants in a nearby farm were also destroyed in the incident.