Ilam has been designated as a kiwi development zone to promote farming of the fruit. All five wards from Sandakpur Rural Municipality and ward number 1, 2, 3 and 6 from Ilam municipality will fall under the kiwi zone.

According to agriculture statistics, the district has been producing 53 metric tonnes of kiwi per hectare. The eastern part of Nepal has been producing 500,000 kilograms of kiwi, shows the statistics.

Though kiwi farming started 12 years ago in the district, it never really got the traction it needed due to lack of an agriculture programme and problems arose. Lack of market management, warehouses, and knowledge of technicians are the main problems in kiwi farming. Under the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project, the kiwi zone programme will be operated in the district. The area has been selected as the kiwi zone as the fruit is grown on more than 500 hectares of land.

Under the programme, farmers will get support in the form of agriculture entrepreneur promotion, development of source centre, establishment of post harvest centre, technical and technological assistance, agriculture equipment and small irrigation.

Farmers will also receive 50 percent subsidy on kiwi plants, 85 percent on laboratory services, 50 percent on agriculture machines and equipment, 85 percent on small irrigation infrastructure, 85 percent on agriculture entrepreneur service infrastructure and 100 percent technical services.

The PM agriculture project will provide Rs10.3 million for the programme. An operation committee will be formed from the farmers operating in the kiwi zone for the programme. According to Ram Sogarath Shah, head of the agriculture centre, the programme will be run through the committee.

Meanwhile, stakeholders want to establish the centre at Sandakpur Village Municipality as the base of operations of the entire kiwi zone.

“The farmers of this area have been doing commercial kiwi farming for a long time and they are the perfect fit to make negotiations for the kiwi zone,” said Uday Rai, chairman of Sandakpur Village Municipality.The concept of a kiwi super zone was presented at a interaction organised by PMAMP management unit at Lalitpur, on Thursday.