Monkey raids have left orange growers in Kalimpong district’s Gorubathan block afraid of heavy losses, turning hopes of a profitable season into a struggle to save their crop.
Farmers said orchards across about 1,000 bighas in around 25 villages had been affected. The raids have intensified over the past three days, with monkeys eating fruit, shaking unripe oranges off branches and damaging trees.
“Last year, despite monkey-related damage, I was still able to sell some of my harvest. This time, however, the monkeys have destroyed almost everything,” said Ramesh Chhetri, a grower.
Favourable weather had raised expectations of a good harvest in Samsing and neighbouring villages, including Lower Ghumti, Upper Ghumti, Bhalukhop, Kholagaon, Bhujelgaon and Gumba Dara. But growers now fear that damage will erode their earnings as the fruit approaches harvest season.
“Hundreds of monkeys, split into various groups, are raiding one orchard after another,” said Prabin Lama, an orange grower in Samsing.
Lama said monkeys were also breaking branches, raising concerns about future yields. Repeated losses could discourage farmers from maintaining existing orchards or planting new trees, he added.
Orange cultivation supports several families in the area, with produce being sold in local markets and outside the region. Growers have sought measures to protect their orchards and administrative assistance for those who have suffered losses.
“We have suffered a severe financial blow,” said grower Ganesh Rai. “Even informing the forest department has yielded no results.”
An official of the Kalimpong forest division said the department was unaware of a specific method to deter the monkeys, noting that monkeys do not fall under the category of “wild animals” in wildlife management protocols.
The horticulture department said it was examining whether insurance for crops could be made available to affected growers from next year.
“I have received information about the damage caused by monkeys,” said Khurshid Alam, assistant director of the Jalpaiguri horticulture department. “The possibility of providing crop insurance to the farmers, starting from next year, is currently being examined.”
Alam said high-quality oranges are grown using organic methods in the Gorubathan-Samsing area.
According to the department, Bengal has about 4,150 hectares under orange cultivation, including 2,500 hectares in the Darjeeling hills and 1,500 hectares in Kalimpong. Samsing accounts for 50 hectares, while Totopara and Buxa in the Dooars account for another 100 hectares.
A department source said 45,000 orange saplings had been distributed across these areas of north Bengal last year with support from a research institute in Nagpur.