सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Hetauda. Devraj Neupane, 61, of Makari, Manahari Rural Municipality-1, Makawanpur, spent his energy in India for 23 years with the dream of making money. Despite driving a vehicle there for 23 years, he could not make money. Meanwhile, the Corona pandemic spreading around the world became an excuse for him to return to his homeland.
After struggling to feed himself in the country where he had spent years of sweat, he returned to the village. This moment became an opportunity for him. After sweating in the village, he has succeeded in becoming a commercial farmer in less than seven years. Neupane said that he currently earns about 1 lakh per month. Despite spending 23 years in another country, he is now very happy after achieving good success in a short time by working hard on his own soil and earning a living.
‘Every need of the family, from the education of his two children, has started to turn around easily. Yesterday, even when we had problems, we used to have a lot of problems because we did not have savings. Now I have also managed to save some money,’ he said.
The business he is currently doing is agriculture and animal husbandry. Neupane, who returned to Nepal after recovering from the injuries caused by the Corona epidemic, left the field he had left barren yesterday and went abroad. Today, he has succeeded in earning a good income by working hard and sweating in the same field. He has currently planted 300 Malpa bananas on nine acres of land.
Neupane said that he is earning more than 300,000 rupees annually from it. Similarly, he sells 40 liters of milk daily from four dairy cows and has a turnover of about 900,000 rupees annually. ‘I am doing tomato farming, commercial banana farming and cattle farming in plastic houses (tunnels). I am using the necessary pesticides for vegetable farming in an organic form.
I have built a tank to collect the urine of four cows and five calves. I use that urine for vegetables,’ he said. ‘That’s why I never had to worry when complaints were coming in that there was a problem due to the use of chemical fertilizers everywhere. On the one hand, organic production, and on the other hand, using manure and urine produced in one’s own barn and garden, one does not have to spend money outside. Not only is the business profitable, but also the income is good by cutting expenses.’
Farmer Neupane, who started using cow urine as a treatment after soil tests found acidity, said that he has been doing commercial farming without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. He said, ‘I do not need chemical fertilizers and pesticides and do not spend money on them, I have raised cows, I have manure and pesticides too.’ He said that he has planted jain grass and nepiyera on 10 kathas of land for the cows. Neupane said that by using his own fields, he earns an income of Rs. 700,000 after deducting all expenses and selling milk worth over Rs. 900,000 annually.
He grows tomatoes in four plastic houses (tunnels) and also grows beans as an intercrop. Neupane, who grows Shrujana and Kavita varieties of tomatoes, said that he produces 50 quintals annually and sells them locally for up to Rs. 250,000.
Although he has been sad since starting this business, Neupane has reaped the fruits of his hard work. The standard of living is improving through this business. He believes that if the government can encourage local production, provide subsidies to reduce costs, and regulate cheap bananas and vegetables from India across the border, many farmers like him will benefit. He also urges the three levels of government to support the commission in discouraging the use of chemical fertilizers and increasing awareness about the use of organic fertilizers like his own, cow dung, testing soil fertility from time to time, and resolving problems.
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