The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Samtse’s orange orchards, once the largest orange-producing region, is now battling a relentless enemy known locally as “Jaruwa” or fruit drop. This pervasive issue, caused by the citrus/chinese fruit fly known scientifically as Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) threatens the orange farmers’ livelihood, yet they remain steadfast and hopeful despite the odds.
Heran Chettri has been cultivating oranges for 16 years, and he is another victim of fruit drop from Dizanggang, Pemaling Gewog. Since moving to his village in 2002, he has witnessed increasing cases of fruit drop, a phenomenon that has persisted throughout his 17 years there.
“It is difficult for us, because I have minimum qualifications and cannot get jobs. My family depends on orange farming, and no one in my household does anything else. The impact of losing their oranges would be catastrophic. If the oranges vanished due to this disease, everything would be affected. I couldn’t send my kids to school, take care of my parents, or run the household,” he said.
To combat this, Heran plants ten new trees for one that succumbs to the disease. Despite his efforts, the fruit drop remains severe.
“If we grow around a hundred thousand oranges, thirty to forty thousand will go to waste due to the disease,” he said.
They try to mitigate this by giving the fallen fruits to cows and then disposing of it in a pit, as recommended by the agriculture extension officer. However, he acknowledges that his efforts alone are insufficient.
“Citrus fruit flies from other orchards also come and infect our oranges, and with changing temperatures, I feel it’s only going to get worse,” he added.
Heran notes that the fruit flies start infecting their oranges in May, with the fruits dropping from September until December. Despite these challenges, he remains committed to orange farming.
“The thing that grows well here is oranges. When more trees die, I plant more. I follow the recommended practices and expect more help from the ministry to reduce fruit drops before it’s too late,” he said.
In addition to oranges, Heran has started planting alternative crops like bananas, which fetch varying prices depending on the quality. Despite suffering huge losses, he persists.
“We used to fetch Nu 260,000 but now, with 560 trees, the yield has decreased due to fruit drop. Still, I remain hopeful.”
“Our orchards get covered with oranges, making it difficult to even step a foot in them. We were recommended to use fruit fly traps, but people are not interested. They think the fallen ones will drop and die anyway. This lack of interest might be because they have smaller orchards. For me, I try my best. Some of these trees were planted by my father 27 years ago, and it’s sad to see our hard work go to waste,” he said.
Mani Ram Ghalley has been cultivating oranges for generations, inheriting the orchard from his forefathers. However, they’ve been plagued by a persistent “Jaruwa”. Despite receiving free chemicals from the government to combat this issue, their efforts have been useless.
The citrus fruit flies, particularly a yellow variety, lay eggs in the soil and on oranges, leading to the fruit drop. The local agriculture administration has advised picking and disposing of affected oranges, but this hasn’t proven effective in curbing the problem. Fruit drop has been escalating over the past decade, severely impacting their harvest and income.
This fruit fly affects orchards above 1000 meters and shady lower-altitude areas and induces significant fruit drop during October and November.
Mani Ram Ghalley expressed desperation, as their livelihood depends solely on orange cultivation. He said, “With around 100 orange trees, only 70 yield fruits, and even those produce significantly fewer oranges due to the fruit drop issue. This drastic reduction in yield has serious financial implications for my family, which rely on orange sales to sustain the household and educate my children.”
Despite receiving occasional assistance and advice from the gewog administration, including recommendations to bury affected oranges, the situation persists. He has resorted to personal methods, like applying lime to prevent citrus fruit flies from accessing the affected fruit, but with limited success. He highlights the worsening situation with increasing temperatures, which he believes contributes to the spread of fruit flies.
He emphasized the importance of collaboration among citrus growers to combat this shared problem, urging adherence to agricultural department guidelines because most of the farmers tend to neglect it due to its tedious nature.
He said, “I fear that if the fruit drop issue persists, it could lead to the disappearance of oranges from the region, impacting both farmers’ income and the availability of this winter fruit staple.”
Reflecting on the broader agricultural landscape, he notes the prevalence of pests and diseases affecting various crops, raising concerns about the safety of chemical treatments given their daily consumption of these crops. He stresses the urgency of finding a solution to save the orange industry, as it is not only vital for their income but also for providing a unique and valuable fruit during the winter months.
In the face of potential failure, he sees no alternative livelihood and emphasises the need to eradicate the root cause of the problem. He mourns the loss of once-thriving orange orchards due to diseases and expresses a sense of helplessness about the future if the situation does not improve.
Bir Man Rai has a similar story. He switched from cultivating maize to oranges, but the fruit drop has been a problem from the start. “Usually, we lose up to 2,000 oranges by the end of the season,” he stated.
Despite this, he continues, giving fallen oranges to cows and disposing of the rest. When a tree dies, it’s difficult to replant. The problem has been increasing, and if it continues, I might switch to cultivating doma, despite the lower prices,” he said.
Like others in Pemaling Gewog, Bir Man’s primary income comes from oranges. He finds it challenging to prevent the fruit drop because the infection timing is hard to predict.
“I come in the morning and see the oranges, knowing many will drop by the end of the season. We pick them up, throw them away, and give them to cows, but they don’t eat much,” he said.
“If oranges go extinct, we have no alternative income. We depend on them for our livelihood, and my family will struggle. The gewog agriculture office has been helping, but it seems useless as the fruit still drops in the end. I don’t do much because even those who rigorously follow the routine still witness fruit drop. The heat is increasing every year, and we now have betel nuts growing abundantly,” he said.
Bir Man describes how the fruit drop affects them. “We face huge losses, and big, juicy oranges often fall off. Of 1,500 oranges on one tree, around 400 or more drop. The pits we make for disposal don’t seem to help as the flies continue to thrive.”
Despite the relentless challenges posed by fruit drop, the farmers of Samtse, like Mani Ram Ghalley and Heran Chettri, refuse to abandon their ancestral lands and cherished orchards. They continue to plant new trees, experiment with alternative crops, and advocate for better support from the agricultural authorities.
Most of the farmers left behind at their villages expressed that they have nurtured their orange trees like their own children. Seeing the worsening situation is heartbreaking, which is why they are determined to save them at all costs.
