Amargadhi, , Apr. 26: We used to buy vegetables in the past, but now we do not need to buy any more.

Beludevi Karki, a 50-year old resident of Sutari Village of Ganeshpur VDC, Dadeldhura replied with a smile on being asked about vegetable cultivation while heading towards Manana area in Amargadhi Municipality, ward No. 1 to observe the vegetables being cultivated there.

Her husband has gone to India to earn money. She is supporting her 5-member family through vegetable cultivation on two Ropani of land. In addition, she has started to accumulate her earnings by constituting a postal service group under the women development branch.

The group with four other women members has saved Rs 5,000 so far.

Durga Prasad Bhatta, a resident of ward No. 10 who has adopted the same calling since the past four years, is of the opinion that vegetable cultivation is lucrative compared to wheat or paddy crops.

Padma Singh Bhandari, a nominated member at the municipality, is one of the experienced farmers of the district. He started in this calling in 2032 bs and since 2042 he has begun to sell the vegetables.

Asked what he has gained through this calling, he replied, “one can benefit about four times more than through cereal crops. We used to take loans for buying our clothing, but that compulsion has ended once and for all”.

The start of non-seasonal vegetable cultivation in parts of Amargadhi Municipality such as Manana and  Panouli Dhakouli and also in Bagarkot, Ganeshpur and Mastamandu VDCs since the past few years has brought about significant changes in the living standard of the rural poor.

The credit goes to the community-based economic development project (cbed).

The project introduced by His Majesty’s Government in Dadeldhura district in April, 1996 in collaboration with the Candian International Development Agency is being implemented with joint efforts from the Canadian Centre for International Studies and Co-operation and the Agricultural Development Projects Services Centre, Kathmandu.

Land used for vegetable cultivation in the district by the end of 1999 totalled 1,780 Ropani. Some 915 women have been involved in this calling so far through 134 creative groups constituted under the project.

They have produced some 867 metric tonnes of vegetable to date   including almost all varieties.

The project has been introduced in 15 VDCs in the district and Amargadhi Municipality. The VDCs are Kailapalmandu, Mastamandu, Ganeshpur, Asigram, Bagarkot, Koreli, Nava Durga, Manilek, Belapur, Samaiji, Ajaymeru, Bhadrapur, Chipur, Jogbudha and Shirsa.

Cauliflower, cabbages, tomato, radish, cucumber, chilly, green onion, pumpkin, peas and beans are among the non-seasonal vegetables produced commercially in the district.

After the steady growth in vegetable output, the produce has been despatched to major towns such as Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Mahendranagar, Atariya, Silgadhi and Sanphebagar, Lekhnath Joshi, 21-year old vegetable contractor of Dadeldhura Farmers Cooperative Ltd. said.

Joshi, who has been in this business since the age of eight has to pay the cooperative up to 50 paise per kg of vegetable and is entitled to a five per cent share of profit on the sale of seeds, saplings, tools and equipment, fertilisers and pesticides purchased through the cooperative.

The cooperative was established with the involvement and initiative of local farmers taking into consideration that a mere increase in output does not yield ample returns, agriculture and management resource expert of the project Madhav Prasad wagle told rss.

Market research has been conducted with a view to identify   potential vegetables and fruits for sale within and outside the country. The markets researched include Dipayal, Mahendranagar, Dhangadhi, Nepalgunj, Kohalpur in Nepal and Barel, Khatiya, Rupaidiya, Tanakpur and Gouriphanta in India, he elaborated.

Following introduction of the cbed project in Dadeldhura district, commercial vegetable cultivation has been carried out by local farmers on an extensive basis.

He said at present they are seeing turnovers ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 150,000 annually.

Asked whether there is any problem of over production, contractor Joshi said that the farmers are cued in advance from time to time about the likely demand for non-seasonal vegetables.

But there is a shortage of cold storage to accommodate the growing volume of vegetables, president of Dadeldhura Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kali Prasad Rijal said. A cellar store has been constructed under the project, it is learnt.

There is also a shortage of water for irrigation and in the rainy season buds are destroyed by snails, farmer Beludevi Karki said. If the problems are sorted out, cultivation can be carried on more smoothly.

The farmers of Dola Marana have also been able to take advantage of this calling, a local youth of the same VDC, Bir Bahadur Karki, remarks.

Some 22 families in Dola and 20 families in Manana under Amargadhi Municipality are involved in this calling as are most of the people of Bagarkot VDC.