सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Dailekh. Nagendra Khadka of Chamundabindrasaini Municipality-9, Dailekh, who lost his mother when he was a minor, has turned 50. He earns Rs 500,000-600,000 annually from commercial vegetable farming in his village. Khadka has commercial vegetable farming on 6 ropanis. He has registered ‘Sagar Agriculture and Livestock Farm’ in the name of his son Sagar and has grown commercial vegetables in his village.
It has become like the song sung by artists Pashupati Sharma and Sita KC, Khadka. America is here for me, Japan is here for me. Even though most of the men in the village have gone to Mughal and Gulf countries for employment, he has earned an income by doing vegetable business in the village. He laughed and said, ‘Did those artists sing for me or what?’
Since there is no vegetable collection center in the municipality, carrying vegetables on his head to the Jambukandh market for sale has become his daily routine. Khadka says, ‘As soon as he steps into the market, the village FM brother, village vegetables have arrived, grown in his own garden, organic vegetables, buy them, he shouts jokingly from market to market.’
Seeing this passion for vegetables, most of the people in the village have started to learn from him. ‘I went to the Himalayas at a young age, I felt sad. Now I thought I would go to my own country and do something. I returned to the village and planted vegetables. “I went abroad (to India) to work as a laborer at the age of 14 and today I have become the leading farmer in the village. At first, I grew vegetables for my family to eat, and then when they started selling, I turned to commercial vegetable farming,” he mentioned. He is known for his smile.
There is no big market around to sell the vegetables grown day and night in the vegetable garden. I carry vegetables on my head to retail shops in local markets including Daunsur, Bindrasaini, Jambukandh. “Once I went with 55 kg, I realized it only after the sale,” he says. “Old man, my hair has grown from carrying it on my head. Children don’t carry it, Kairnu!’
Mrs. (Khajura) has helped by raising two buffaloes, a bullock and some goats. Khadka should not use any other manure than that of cattle. Out of four children, the eldest daughter is married. The eldest has passed 12th standard and is doing business in the village. One son has just completed an 18-month veterinary course, and one daughter has passed 12th standard. ‘I have given my children this much education by selling vegetables,’ she says.
‘Gaunle FM Dai’
Around 2058 BS, Khadka had a small retail shop in Daunsur. Listening to the daily news on the radio in the shop and telling the news to people who came to buy goods in the shop was like his daily routine. At that time, the People’s War was at its peak.
The locals were more interested in news. His neighbors say that he used to broadcast news from Radio Nepal, a radio run by the Maoists, Bagishwari FM in Nepalgunj, and Phulbari FM in Tikapur, Kailali, at a loud volume to the village.
Today, there was such a stampede in this place, so many people died, so many were injured, and he would also learn about world events by listening to the BBC. At that time, the Maoists’ ‘Rewal’ named him ‘Gaunle FM Dai’, now not by the name Nagendra. He is known as Gaunle FM Dai.
He is equally interested in Khadka folk songs and Deuda. ‘BS In 2043, Radio Nepal used to broadcast a Chautari program, where Krishna Kandel, the current host of the Indreni program, also sang Thadi Bhaka. From that time on, I have been passionate about radio and songs and music,’ he said.
He is interested in Deuda and folk songs. A few years ago, he used to speak and sing in most radio programs broadcast from Dailekh and Surkhet. He has become famous among his listeners as ‘Nagendra Khadka Gaunle FM’, who sings songs in a village accent and clear voice. The radio is still hanging outside his house. He works in the garden while listening to the radio.
Income when you produce by understanding the market
Income when you produce by understanding the market demand. Otherwise, vegetables will go to waste, he says. Recalling the past, Khadka said, ‘The general election will be held in Mangsir in 2079 BS. I planted vegetables in the garden because the workers who come to campaign for the election will buy vegetables. In Mangsir alone, beans worth 20,000 were sold. During the election period, six quintals were sold.’ He informed that he had also given the candidate a garland of beans and tomatoes that he had produced.
Khadka produces seeds including beans, cucumbers, chickpeas and other seeds himself. ‘I buy hybrid seeds from the shop. In Falgun-Chait 2080 BS alone, I sold chickpeas worth 25,000,’ he said. ‘I produce vegetables knowing when they will be sold. This year, I have planted 200 cauliflower plants and the same proportion of cabbage, and they have grown well.’
Six quintals of tomatoes are ready in two large tunnels. Khadka informed that three to four kg of tomatoes are grown on one plant. He said, ‘I recently sold tomatoes for 2,050. This is an organic tomato, it is being sold for 60 kg.’ Khadka, who has received training in agriculture, makes pesticides at home. I have not used pesticides on vegetables yet.
He said, ‘Organic fertilizers are useless. Why buy commercial fertilizers, they spoil the soil.’ Khadka, who has been farming traditionally, has not received any subsidies from the state even though he has received support from NGOs. I got the award through hard work.
According to him, the crores of rupees given by the state to middlemen who grow vegetables in bags and raise goats in bags get it. If farmers like us received the subsidies given by the government, most people would have become self-employed in the village. Khadka has a problem with irrigation for vegetable farming. Once, an organization called Sewak gave him a tent. He has built a pond near the farm with the roof of the tent. There is still a problem with irrigation as there is no large source of water around.
Nagendra, who has studied up to class 3, shares his knowledge of how to grow vegetables with other farmers in the village. Khadka, who studied how to grow them, received the first, second and third prizes from Chamundabindrasaini Municipality. Everyone has their own hobbies. People are trying to fulfill those hobbies.
Khadka, who was once a radio lover, has now turned to TikTok. He makes informative videos about agriculture and shares them through the TikTok ID ‘Nagendra Khadka 449’.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्