The youth of Myagdi sell vegetables through Facebook
Dalveer Pun of Mangala Rural Municipality-4 Upallo Bukeni of Myagdi has produced unseasonal cotton during Barkhayam.
Unseasonal chicken is produced at the NMD Agriculture and Livestock Farm in Upper Bukeni, 2,200 meters above sea level. 37-year-old Pun says that he has raised ‘Green Cronet’ breed in 15 Ropani Barami.
He said, ‘We have brought in plants of varieties that can be cultivated in the off-season for testing’, he says, ‘The plants planted in Baisakh have grown and taken the shape of plants. I am preparing to send it to the market from the first week of July.’
Pun’s farm has become green due to the seasonal cultivation of green cronet variety which can consume water and can be done in cold climate.
Kiran Sigdel, head of Agricultural Knowledge Center, Myagdi, says that for the first time in the district, cotton was produced in Barkhayam. ‘Banda is a winter vegetable crop, now a variety has been developed that can be cultivated even in the dry season’, he says, ‘Banda produced in off-season gets better market and price.’
Pun, who has been farming tomatoes for three years, has done unseasonal farming this year. In his farm, tomatoes are currently produced in five semi hi-tech tunnels. According to Pun, a semi-high-tech tunnel was built with the help of Krishi Gyan Kendra after damage to the open tunnel due to wind and hail.
Again, from 2057 to 2068, he participated in the ‘People’s War’ conducted by the then Maoists as the People’s Liberation Army. Pun Dahawan, who was the Ward Committee Chairman of the CPN Maoist Center, stayed in Rolpa doing business for about five years after taking voluntary retirement from the camp. He returned home 7 years ago and bought 21 acres of land and established an agricultural farm.
After starting the farm with goat rearing, he has been focusing on tomato and seasonal vegetable cultivation for the last 3 years. Pun says that till now Rs 50 lakh has been invested in the farm.
“Thinking that prosperity can be achieved through agriculture, I stopped going abroad and lived in this farming”, he says, “I am satisfied with the income.” I have expanded the investment in the infrastructure of the farm.’ Two children have been educated in a private school in Beni.
Pun, who works on the farm from dawn to dusk, has been making local laborers work for wages as needed. There is also a plan to cultivate the herbs of Pun, which also cultivated the spicy fruit Timmur.
I have also started the cultivation of Timmur, a spicy fruit. Now I plan to gradually cultivate herbs.’ He says.
Vegetable cultivation has become effective due to irrigation facilities and cool climate. Even if they reach the road, they will spend a lot of money on transportation due to the inconvenience of transportation, and the traders in the market say that there is a problem when they have to sell the goods at the price.
He says, ‘The biggest problem here is transportation. It is difficult to reach the market. Shipping costs are high. But we are sorry for not getting the market.’
Pun says that he used to send unconsumed vegetables to Pokhara in Beni, Baglung and marketed the vegetables through Facebook. ‘Now it’s time for Facebook. That’s why I have started buying and selling vegetables by keeping photos. The trafficker who likes them, they call and ask for it.’
Pun’s plan is now to do business online through easy medium. He says, ‘As soon as you put it on Facebook, people will call you. Now I am thinking of marketing and expanding my business through this medium. What is heirloom? It would have been better to sell vegetables online. ‘
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