सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Tanahun. Damodar Dhakal of Bandipur Rural Municipality-1 in the district has been doing commercial vegetable farming since 2064 BS. He is currently farming on 50 ropanis of land and says that he earns up to 1.5 million rupees annually.
Twenty-two years ago, when Dhakal migrated here from Kaski, he had to earn a living by organizing fairs for others. After organizing fairs in the village for a few years, he went to India for work. After spending about 10 years there, he returned to his own village. After that, he never wanted to leave the village. And so he started, vegetable farming in the village. Dhakal has become an example of what happens if you keep trying. Initially, he cultivated on two to three ropanis and has now expanded to 50 ropanis.
‘Earlier, people used to earn a living by organizing fairs for others. I also went to India for work, but after returning from there, I started farming because I wanted to do something in my own country. It turned out well, if you have the will to work, there are many opportunities in the country, but after that I have not looked back. I am currently earning lakhs from land that was previously barren by working hard, Dhakal said.
He cultivates vegetables all year round. In the tunnel, he grows tomatoes all year round, vegetables according to the season. Carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin, bitter gourd, ghirau, chillies and non-seasonal vegetables always grow. He said that recently he has been producing and selling vegetables as well as seedlings in his garden. He said that he produces seasonal and non-seasonal varieties of vegetables and fruit seedlings on about four ropanis of land.
Not all the land he is cultivating vegetables on is his own. He has rented 50 ropanis of land for an annual payment of 200,000. Dhakal has planned to expand his business to an additional 10 ropanis of land after the production has started to be consumed well. He said, “I have been selling the vegetables I have produced in markets such as Bandipur, Dumre, Damauli. Traders from Pokhara also come to buy vegetables. All this generates a turnover of up to 8 million rupees annually. After deducting all expenses, 1.5 million rupees is saved. Now I am planning to expand my business further.’
Dhakal, who used to earn a living by working for others, has raised his family and given his children a good education through this business. He said, ‘Because of the good income from vegetable farming, I was able to educate my children up to the graduation level. If I had worked in another country, would this have been possible or not? I have done agriculture in my own country on time, so everything is going well now. Both income and satisfaction,’ says Dhakal.
He said that he currently has a daughter abroad and a son who is a teacher. He has built a house worth living at a cost of Rs 3 million. He said that he has annexed two ropanis of land in his own name. He has bought a Bolero jeep, a motorcycle and a scooter for marketing vegetables. Dhakal informed that Bandipur Rural Municipality and the Agricultural Knowledge Center have also supported his business development. He said that he has received support in tunnel technology for three years. So far, he has received a grant worth Rs 1 million for expanding his agricultural business. The Agricultural Knowledge Center has even sent him on a trip to India to study and research on agriculture. He expressed his happiness that the joy of traveling to India as a businessman is different from going in search of work.
Businessman Dhakal said that he is continuously working on production and management according to market demand. ‘Agriculture is the basis of Nepal’s prosperity. If we work hard on this fertile land that we have, we don’t have to go abroad for employment. I myself am an example of that,’ he says, ‘If I had been disappointed, this would have been the situation we are in today. Even if I were abroad, I would not have had the joy and satisfaction of living in my own country with my home, family, society, relatives, and friends. This is important for everyone to understand.’
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प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्