Mountain. Commercial cultivation is being done for cucumber seeds in different villages of parbat. Farmers have started earning a handsome income from cucumber seeds. Bhaktapur, which was planted in the first week of February last year, has ripened the local variety of cucumbers. With the extreme heat, the farmers have been forced to harvest the seeds by picking cucumbers.
Farmers of Bihadi Rural Municipality-1, Bachcha, Falebas Municipality-11 Pangrang, Ward No 10 Kurgha, Ward No 7 Limithana, Ward No 6 Devisthan and Ward No 5 Khanigaun and Jaljala Rural Municipality-4 Kholakhet and Ward No 7 Dhairing have been producing cucumber seeds commercially. According to agriculture knowledge center Parbat, the production of cucumber has increased this year compared to previous years due to favorable weather and climate.
A total of 72 farmers have been cultivating cucumber commercially in Pangrang of Phalewas municipality-11. Baburam Bhusal, a local, said that rs 60 million had entered the village through the sale of seeds last year and the production would increase this year as compared to last year. Similarly, farmers in Bihadi rural municipality-1 bachcha have cultivated cucumber for seeds in 200 ropanis of land. Only 100 ropanis of cucumber has been planted by the creative farmers’ group engaged in the commercial production of seed cucumber in calves. According to Shiv Kumar Chhetri, chairman of the farmers’ group, 28 farmers are associated with the group.
Last year, cucumber seeds were sold at Rs 13,000 per kg. There is still a demand for cucumber seeds from Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal and other places. The price has not been fixed. Farmer Chhetri said that at least 100 kg of cucumber seeds would be produced by cultivating cucumber on 17 ropanis of land. Similarly, farmers of Salyan of Jaljala Rural Municipality-7, Dhairing earned Rs 30 million by selling cucumber seeds last year. Tunganath Acharya, a local, said that the increase is expected this year.
Parshuram Adhikari, senior agriculture development officer of Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Parbat, said that the area under the cultivation of cucumber seeds has increased by 200 ropanis and the weather is also favorable. Agriculture Knowledge Centre Parbat has provided 50 per cent subsidy on the purchase of seeds and up to 50 per cent subsidy on the purchase of fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural inputs.
At present, the work of picking cucumbers and extracting seeds and drying them is going on. Farmers have said that the sale will be done to the traders after the second week of June. The seeds are taken by organizations like NARC and Nimacol.
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