October 29: Farmers in Baglung are facing a dire situation as their lemon plants have fallen victim to a relentless fungus infestation.

 Over the past two months, thousands of lemon plants cultivated by hundreds of farmers have begun to wither away, causing considerable concern among the local farmers.

If left unchecked, this outbreak could result in substantial financial losses for the affected farmers.

Kumar Pun Magar, the information officer for the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Baglung, said that the fungus is the root cause behind the widespread deterioration of lemon plants.

The telltale sign of this affliction is the drying and eventual death of the tips of lemon plant leaves. To mitigate the damage, Magar suggests that farmers should promptly remove and discard the affected, dried-up plants to salvage the remaining healthy ones.

He emphasizes that seeking technical advice is crucial to prevent the fungus from taking hold, as it primarily targets lemon plants.

Magar elaborates, "The fungus leads to the demise of lemon branches, and farmers need to remain vigilant to combat this issue. Timely pruning of the drying branches is essential. This problem has primarily affected the Nisikhola area and its surroundings within the district."

Nar Bahadur Budha Magar, who has planted a total of 60 lemon plants in Nisikhola, is among those grappling with the fungus infestation. He's already lost 34 of his lemon plants, causing ripe lemon fruits to fall prematurely during the harvest.

 Even the lemon plants he had nurtured for a year succumbed to the disease. Budha Magar had ventured into commercial lemon cultivation two years ago and anticipates a substantial loss of around Rs 200,000 due to the damage to his lemon plants.

He recounts, "There were lemon trees planted six to seven years ago in the garden. Initially, the branches of those trees began to die, and later the problem spread to other smaller plants. If this continues, my substantial investment will be in jeopardy."

Purna Bahadur Chhetri, another local farmer, is also grappling with the spreading disease. Out of the 90 lemon plants he had cultivated, 70 are now affected.

Chhetri has been proactive in cutting the dried branches as soon as they show signs of infestation. This issue did not arise in his lemon plants the previous year.

The Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Baglung reports that of the 45 hectares of land allocated for lemon cultivation in the district, only 22 hectares are currently yielding production. (RSS)