Bhandara: The Entomology Development Firm in Bhandara has successfully cultivated over 300 thousand mulberry saplings on its 1.5-hectare land, now ready for sale.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the Chief of the Firm, Suruchi Tripathi, stated that farmers have already submitted applications to purchase 20 thousand of these saplings. Last year, the firm produced 350 thousand mulberry plants, out of which 250 thousand were sold. Tripathi emphasized that the current period is optimal for transplanting mulberry plants, which has led to increased demand from farmers.
The firm is selling these seedlings at Rs 5 each. Due to the displacement of farmers previously involved in sericulture, the mulberry saplings are now being marketed as fodder trees. Tripathi noted that coordination with local governments has been established to facilitate the sale of these plants.
The Kanva-2 variety of mulberry saplings is particularly ready for sale, with the firm currently preserving 38 varieties in its sample garden as part of a mother seed conservation program. The saplings are being distributed across several districts, including Chitwan, Makwanpur, Sindhuli, Gorkha, Kathmandu, Nawalparasi, Baglung, Tanahu, Kavre, and Sindhupalchok. Notably, there are no longer any sericulture farmers in the Chitwan district.