August 9: Koshi Province produced 14,561 metric tons of betel nuts in the last fiscal year.

According to the data of the Ministry of Industry, Agriculture and Cooperatives of Koshi Province, Jhapa district alone produced 10,370 metric tons of betel nuts during the review year.

Cultivation of betel nuts was done in 2,770 hectares of land in Jhapa in FY 2022/23. The cultivation of betel nuts is increasing rapidly in the district.

After Jhapa, Morang is the district which produced the most betel nuts. Betel nuts were cultivated in 905 hectares of land in Morang. Last year, this district produced 2,946 metric tons of betel nuts.

Similarly, Ilam produced 610 metric tons of betel nut in 209 hectares of land in the last season, followed by Sunsari, which produced 525 metric tons of betel nuts in 135 hectares.

The ministry informed that betel nuts were cultivated in 35 hectares of land in Udayapur. This district produced 109 metric tons of betel nut last year.

Commercial farming of betel nuts is being done in a total of 4,054 hectares in land in Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Udayapur and Ilam.

According to Abhimanyu Adhikari, an agricultural expert of the ministry, more than two-thirds of the total betel nuts produced in Koshi province came from Jhapa. That's why Jhapa is also called the capital of betel nuts.

Jhapa is also famed for the production of rice and tea, along with betel nuts, an important cash crop.

Betel nuts are considered to have medicinal properties, and are also used in religious activities and for wedding to death rituals.