Province 1 is hit hardest as unseasonal rainfall continues to claim lives, destroy crops.

Many growers have stopped applying chemical fertiliser as part of the organic push but they are not getting the organic manure on time, which has been threatening their farm productivity.

If the situation continues, it will drive a large section of the population into unemployment, insiders say.

With hotels and restaurants shut, farmers can't sell their milk because there are no buyers. Residents also do not want to come out of their houses to buy milk due to risk of infection.

The first flush, the most lucrative of four harvests, had almost halved because of the winter drought. But farmers are hopeful that prices will be high this year too like last year.

The 60-year-old, who had been held in Indian prison without proper trial for the last 40 years, meets his 85-year-old mother and relatives at his ancestral home in Ilam.

The scheme will use the traceability system to track the product along the entire supply chain, officials say.

Local authorities have decided to keep a close watch as premature picking may harm demand in the future.

Stakeholders highlight the system of getting organic tea certified, which costs more than Rs 500,000, as a major obstacle to widespread adoption of the new brand.

The trademark includes the words 'Nepal Tea Quality from the Himalaya'.

The tea factories have fixed the price at Rs20 to Rs30 per kg for this year.

Lack of investors, skilled manpower and legal hurdles are behind Ilam’s failure to hold a commercial flight, stakeholders say.

From humble beginnings in Fikkal, Suruchi went on to represent Nepali football on numerous occasions.

Illustrious Ilam rolls out its green carpet for visitors.

Tea producers say they cannot purchase tea at the price fixed by the municipality