Many Nepalese orange farmers who have been growing this fruit for decades, have found better times by switching to avocado production over the past few years.
Avocado farmers in Nepal's Dhankuta Municipality sold 77.7 tons and earned Rs 2.3 million ($17 751). Their fortunes changed by selling 239.4 tons for Rs32 million ($246 976) last season.
Farmers say they were tired of having to deal with diseases in orange crops all the time. Unlike oranges they also do not have to worry about market prices for avocados. There were 1 963 avocado farmers four years ago, now the municipality has 4 926 who joined the green gold rush planting trees on 12 999 hectares.