Dang. Yubaraj Poudel of Lamahi came to Nepal in 2075 BS after living in Saudi Arabia for two years. He was confused about what to do after coming here. He said that he had seen Saudi Arabia become self-sufficient by farming in a country with abundant water and less soil, so he thought of doing something in Nepal too.
He said that he had started watermelon farming in Bagar for testing as he saw the potential in agriculture in Nepal. 15 bighas of land in Bagar of Rapti River in Dhikpur, Lamahi Municipality-6 has become lush with watermelon farming. Poudel said that he has run the country’s model Chaklabandi Bagarkheti with the cost sharing of the youth who have returned from employment in various countries outside Nepal.
He advises the youth to work on their own land instead of keeping Nepal’s land barren and sweating on someone else’s land. He says that if the youth stop running away and make their land green, there will be work and income.
He said that he has given employment to five locals on the agricultural farm and that he also works hard, adding that he gives his time to farming as both an investor and a worker. Suraj Pandey of the same place has also returned from abroad and started watermelon farming. He has joined the watermelon farming started by his friends after living in Dubai for four years and returning home to do something about it.
He said that the fruit-bearing plants have turned green and that they have started a private agricultural farm under the management of the Entrepreneurial Multipurpose Agricultural Cooperative in Bagar Lamhi, Rapti, and a model Chaklabandi farming in the country with the cost sharing of the youth who have returned from employment in various countries.
The cooperative’s secretary, Bishwa Prakash Adhikari, informed that watermelon farming has started from a private agricultural firm under the management of the Entrepreneurial Multipurpose Agricultural Cooperative in Lamhi. “The cooperative had been looking for land, local youths with the idea of farming demanded land and the land was provided,” he said.
He said that watermelon production would be good in Dang’s climate as it grows abundantly during the summer. He said that he hopes to earn Rs 400,000 to 500,000 per bigha. Watermelons have been planted in three ways: mulching, trenching and planting in lines. He said that this is the first time that watermelons have been cultivated in Dang using mulching technology.
Six varieties of watermelons have been planted: green, gray, green on the outside, red on the inside, green on the outside, yellow on the inside and yellow on the outside and red on the inside. He said that he took up watermelon farming because it can be produced in a short time and has high returns.
He said that he is preparing to sell the produced watermelon in cities such as Ghorahi, Tulsipur, Lamahi, Bhaluwang, Butwal and others. He believes that the business can be continued if the provincial and local governments encourage farmers who want to do something in their own country.
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