Nawalparasi, Mar. 4: Cultivation of papaya fruit is gaining popularity among farmers here because of low cost and high yields as well as simplicity in cultivation campared to other cash crops.

In view of its growing popularity, the progressive women farmers group of Prasauni VDC has set up a papaya processing plant under which a range of products such as jam, jelly and candy are being produced and sold briskly.

The papaya processing plant was completed at a cost of 10,000 US dollars.

Some tools and equipment required for operating the plant including a pulper machine, a juice extracting machine and a boiler have been handed over to the group.

A factory building Has Been Constructed By The district agriculture development office, nawalparasi in collaboration with FAO and the government of Australia in accordance with a proposal from the Women Farmers Development Division under the Ministry of Agricultural and Cooperatives.

For the construction work, FAO provided an assistance of Rs. 277,000 and the rest of the cost was met through a grant from the VDC and donations.

The plant being run by 25 women of the group has been in operation since January following completion of its contruction in december.

The plant has produced some 884 bottles of jam and jelly and 5 kg of candy so far and this output has been sold out. the group has been able to earn a profit of about Rs. 30,000 during the last four months.

The group charges fees to visitors who come to observe the plant.

It also collects about 10 Kg of papaya fruit a day from fellow members as an input.

The jam and jelly is being sold at the rate of Rs. 50 per 50 gram bottle.

At present, some 73 hectares of land is being used for papaya cultivation which was first carried out in 2045 BS by some farmers with saplings from the Palpa horticulture farm.

Some 30 hectares is being used for papaya cultivation in Prasauni VDC alone.

About 10,085 metric tonnes of papaya is produced in the district annually. Prasauni VDC accounts for 46.5 percent of this total.

The main papaya variety being cultivated here is honey dew. in addition, selection 1 and pant 1 are also being cultivated.

In view of the growing prospects for papaya cultivation here, a papaya nursery has been set up and this is making saplings available to local farmers.

Besides Prasauni VDC, Gaidakot, Jhapardi and Kawasoti are other major pocket areas where the fruit is being cultivated. about 73,000 papaya saplings are being planted in those areas and yield per hectare is 15.5 metric tonnes.

The papaya cultivation has been carried out on a commercial basis since 2051 BS through the progressive women farmers group at the initiative of the 25 active members. sales reach 140 quintals a day. The annual turnover is Rs. 29.4 million.

Although the papaya is a familiar fruit in markets such as Butwal, Narayangadh and Kathmandu, the central food research laboratory should extend technical help to cultivators, says a papaya farmer.

Secretary of the group Jamuna Bhattarai says they used to cultivate banana in the past, but the fruit is damaged by heat in summer and does not have a shelf life. That was why they adopted papaya cultivation.

But she complains about lack of reasonable returns from the sale of papaya, a fruit which also contains medicinal properties.

On being convinced of the prospects for a papaya processing plant here, we took the necessary initiative and were able to set up the plant. Now, we are free from the fear of unsold fruit stock, she elaborates.

Dan Kumari Pandey, a member of the group recalling her past experience, says we need more training for ensuring quality production. We have no drying machine for candy. Ours product is facing difficulties in the face of market competition. We will be able to cope if equipment is made available.

Consumers can have a better product and a substitute for the imported variety as product quality is maintained through laboratorty tests from time to time, joint secretary at the women farmers development division Dr. Lila Pathak says.

At the begining, the papaya fruit produced could only sell at the rate of Rs. 5 per Kg. though this situation does not exist at present, a good share of the market is yet to be won. If the situation becomes favourable, papaya cultivation might extend throughout the district and in to the off-season periods also.