Raju Thapa, a kiwi farmer from Dolakha, is facing challenges this year due to plummeting prices for his harvest. The price of kiwi has dropped to Rs100 per kg, compared to Rs150 last year. With four tonnes of kiwi in his orchard, Thapa is concerned about the decreasing return on his investment, especially as prices have been steadily declining for years. At one point, the fruit sold for Rs1,000 per kg in the early years of kiwi farming in Nepal, but now, with increased competition, even unripe kiwis are being sent to the market prematurely.
Around 3,000 kiwi growers in the region are similarly affected by the price drop. Thapa’s farm, Gairashowara Krishi Firm, has 6,800 kiwi plants, producing two popular varieties—Hayward and Allison. Despite a good yield, farmers like Thapa struggle with market saturation and unpredictable pricing.
Other farmers share the same concerns, with Lila Bahadur Subedi noting that the price of red kiwi has also fallen significantly. Dolakha produces over 8,000 tonnes of kiwi annually, but many farmers, including Gita Dahal, find themselves without a reliable market to sell their produce. Additionally, the cost of cultivating kiwi is high, making it challenging for farmers to break even without assured buyers.
Local governments have tried to help by promoting value-added products like kiwi jam, jelly, and juice, but farmers argue that better branding and export opportunities are needed to improve the market for Nepali kiwi. Despite being a nutrient-rich fruit with health benefits, domestic consumption remains low. The government’s earlier efforts to establish Dolakha as a kiwi farming zone have seen some success, but more work is needed to create stable markets for the farmers.
