Baglung, June 1 -- A persistent monkey menace has forced many local farmers to abandon crop cultivation altogether. Even those who continued farming were often unable to harvest what they planted.

Frustrated by repeated losses of traditional maize and wheat crops to monkeys, residents of Rayadanda in ward 11 of Baglung Municipality have spent the past three years searching for alternative farming options.

While some initially shifted to goat rearing, farmers who once depended largely on mustard greens and livestock have this year expanded into ginger and Akabare chilli cultivation, also known as fireball cherry pepper.

Ward Chairman Gyanendra Gautam said Akabare chilli and ginger farming were selected after extensive discussions on cro...