Consumers are compelled to pay high price for sweet orange (junar) while farmers complain about low rates for their produce, thanks to the middlemen who take away most of the profits.

For the citrus fruit, which costs Rs10-12 per unit in the retail market, the farmers reportedly get just Rs3-4 per unit. Sindhuli is Nepal’s top producer of sweet orange.

Nilhari Dahal, a local, said he purchased the fruit at Rs30-35 per kg last year, but the price has not dropped below Rs55-60 per kg this year. He said it costs no less than Rs60 per kg in Ratanchura-Khaniyakharka area.

Consumers have also blamed the price hike to black-marketing. “It would be better if the farmers get most of the profits instead of the traders,” he said.

The traders directly purchase the fruit from the farmers. This has ensured market for the farmers, but they are being cheated in terms of price. As the traders mostly supply the products to other districts, local consumers are compelled to pay high price.

Hasta Bahadur Magar, a farmer from Basheshwor-6 said Tarai-based traders were purchasing his produce. He said the traders pay just Rs4 per unit.

Achyutam Dhakal, president of Consumer Forum, expressed dissatisfaction over high retail price of the fruit at a time when the farmers are complaining about low rates for their produce. He said the traders were artificially hiking the price on pretext of high transportation costs.

According to Junar Development Association, Junar cultivation is done on 1,500 hectares of land in the district, which produces 15,000 tonnes annually on an average.

Krishna Prasad Gautam, vice-president of the association, said district headquarters Sindhulimadhi is the main market for the fruit. He said Ratanchura, Tinkanya, Jalkanya, Bitijor, Basheshwor, Majhuwa and Dumja villages are the pocket areas.