Rampur. No one had ever thought that stony wasteland could be a means of earning by turning it into green. It was never imagined that income could be generated by cultivating land that had been left unused by burning bricks.
Dil Bahadur Thapa and Lal Bahadur Thapa of Devisthan, Rampur Municipality-4 have set an example that if you have the skills, energy, and willpower, you can turn even stony land that has been burned by burning bricks into green.
With the brothers’ continuous hard work and sweat, the stony land has now become a basis for earning by managing fertilizer and irrigation. Thapa brothers have returned from foreign employment a decade ago and are engaged in vegetable farming. They are cultivating vegetables by renting about ten ropanis of land.
Thapa brothers have registered ‘Our Modern Agriculture Farm’ and have been producing off-season vegetables for the past six years.
Currently, cucumbers, bitter gourds, cauliflower, and other vegetables are being cultivated here. Dil Bahadur said that since it is the season for cucumber production, it is difficult to sell them. He informed that up to two quintals of cucumbers are taken out of the farm for sale every day.
‘The farm has produced plenty of cucumbers at this time. The rush to pick cucumbers and take them to the market has increased. Since they are an off-season product, there is a high demand in the market. Customers and traders also come to the farm to buy them,’ he said.
Apart from cucumbers, tomatoes, bitter gourd, and pumpkin are being produced. Dil Bahadur informed that 17 quintals of cucumbers, which have been produced since Chaitra, have been sold so far and that production will continue for another month.
According to him, an annual turnover of Rs. 2 million is being generated from vegetable farming. He said that preparations are being made to plant new cucumber seedlings in Jestha with the goal of making an additional profit of Rs. 1.5 million next year.
‘If the time and technology for cultivation are known, there will be no problem in selling. We have got a good market because we have focused on cultivation during times when vegetables are not produced in other areas. We have not had to go elsewhere for the market,’ said Dil Bahadur. ‘So far, the price has been according to the cost in the village market, we are satisfied with this.’ He said that commercial cultivation has been carried out in the long term by arranging drip irrigation, mulching plastic, and systematic iron rods.
‘Water is being supplied from wells for irrigation. Since the market is nearby and the farm has road facilities, it has become easy to do business. Since various varieties of vegetables are available all year round, traders and customers are always busy at the farm,’ he said.
Lal Bahadur said that 80 quintals of cucumbers were produced recently and that there are still some for sale at the farm. According to him, cucumbers are being consumed in Rampur Bazaar as well as in Aryabhanjyang Bazaar, which is near the district headquarters of Palpa. .
‘There is demand from various external markets, our goal is to consume in the local market, traders and customers buy vegetables from the farm, we have not sent the locals empty-handed, the current production is fine in the local market,’ he said.
Lal Bahadur said that vegetables fetch a higher price in the local market than in Chitwan, Butwal and other areas. If farmers focus on production, they can get a higher price when selling in the local market compared to outside markets. He said that since electricity is used for irrigation, there are problems during power outages.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्