सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Hetauda. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, the number of Nepalis who received final labor permits (institutional and individual-new) for foreign employment is 230,439 and the number of those who received re-labor permits is 162,628.
This number is slightly lower than the previous year. According to Nepal Rastra Bank, in the same period of the previous year, 26,390 people received final labor permits and 133,940 received re-labor permits for foreign employment.
The queue of Nepalis going for foreign employment is long. If we look at the annual figures, the number of people migrating for employment has not decreased significantly, even though the number fluctuates by a few thousand in some years.
However, there is also a growing belief that the economic situation can be improved by doing something at home. Examples are starting to emerge that if you work at home, you can earn a good income. Yes, Krishna Bahadur of Makawanpur, who is about to join the large number of Nepalis who work abroad and send money, has become an example.
Krishna Bahadur Moktan of Kholaghari, Thaha Municipality-5, who left for foreign employment, is now a millionaire farmer. He has been earning a good income by farming trout. Along with fishing, he is busy with kiwi and vegetable farming and is earning lakhs of rupees annually.
Since 2077 BS, he started commercial fishing by constructing a nine-section pond (raceway) for trout fishing in an area of two ropanis with an investment of Rs. 60 lakh. By registering a unique agricultural farm, he has raised five thousand rainbow trout and seven thousand locally available asala fish.
Moktan, who worked as a driver in Kathmandu for some time, was preparing to go to Saudi Arabia for foreign employment. He failed after jaundice was detected during his medical examination. Then, he changed his mind about going abroad for employment and returned home to do something in his own village.
‘I used to drive in Kathmandu, a brother from Nuwakot and I used to work together, on his advice, I returned to my own village and started farming. I acquired technical knowledge for fish farming in Kavre,’ said Moktan.
Moktan, who won the ward member position in the 2074 BS local level elections, has been re-elected as a ward member. He is currently the acting ward chairperson. Along with his ward responsibilities, he has taken forward agricultural work.
Moktan says that the water coming out of the community forest here was tested in the Godavari River in Kathmandu and was suitable for trout fishing, so he started fishing.
He started trout fishing with some of his own money and a loan from a cooperative and has been selling the fish here at a rate of 1,500 per kg.
Moktan, who produces and sells 1,700 kg of fish annually, said that he has been doing a turnover of 2.5 million. He says that after deducting all expenses, he earns an annual income of more than 1.2 million.
The fish produced here is consumed in Hetauda, Kathmandu and locally in Daman, Palung and Simbhanjyang. ‘There is no problem with the market, if we can produce it, it will be sold, people usually come to the farm to buy fish, if there is demand, we also send it to the market,’ said Moktan. Three people have found employment in the trout fishery and kiwi farming he runs.
Farmer Moktan has also used the water flowing from the fish pond to run a ghat. He is working with the aim of promoting local tourism by building a resort in the future and has worked with a plan to serve dishes made from locally produced corn, millet, phapar, fish, sisnu and green vegetables.
Similarly, he has planted Hewad variety kiwi fruit on eight ropanis of barren and wasting land and has also built five 100-meter tunnels for vegetable cultivation. Similarly, he has been cultivating vegetables including cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, radishes, potatoes and other vegetables on 20 ropanis of land and has been earning more than Rs 700,000 annually.
Recently, Moktan has brought and planted 120 kiwi plants from a garden in Daman. He is confident that he will be able to harvest the full crop next year, having sold 30 kg more than last year.
Like him, farmers in the northern part of Makawanpur have been attracted to rainbow trout fishing. Farmers here have been earning a good income by cultivating cash crops along with fishing for financial gain.
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