By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Nov. 7: Consumer price inflation stood at 6.16 per cent in mid-September 2019 whereas food and beverage inflation was only 6.51 per cent. According to the latest macroeconomic report of Nepal Rastra Bank, prices of vegetable, fruit, meat, fish and spices spiked significantly.
Minister for Finance Dr.Yubaraj Khatiwada had expected 5 per cent growth in the agriculture sector in his budget speech for the year. He focused on modernisation, commercialisation and mechanisation of agriculture to increase the domestic products for consumption.
"Substituting import with domestic products for consumption is essential," he had said.
However, the data with the government sources show that almost all fast moving consumer goods, including vegetables, are being imported from neighbouring countries. Does this mean all of the efforts went in vain? Of course, not.
Farmers of western Nepal are producing huge amounts of vegetable from the government subsidy. Lentil, potato, tomato, honey and other vegetables were sold in other districts from Dang.
Purnima Chaudhary, a farmer of Dang district, planted potato in her 22 bigahs of land with commercial purpose.
She is the leader of Milijuli Women Group. Not only Purnima but also Sita, Sunita and Maya, all from Chaudhary families, are engaged in agro production and earn a lot every year. They lead agro producers’ groups. Each of the group has 20 to 30 members for doing the agro business.
"Initially, we were frustrated with the profession because all of us produced huge amounts of potato but could not get its value," Sita Chaudhary shared her experience. She further said farmers neither could store their products for off-season selling nor they got any profit from that.
"I was planning to divert my profession," Sita said.
Of course, the lead potato producers faced Sita’s situation. Potato producers had to visit Narayangadh and other places for the storage. Even after visiting these places, storage of their produce was not guaranteed. "Sometimes we were compelled to leave our potato there without getting any chance to sell off," Maiya Tharu said.
Then 106 farmers invested on Rapti Cold Store, which is now helping farmers get the proper value of their agro products. Farmers had invested between Rs. 1 to Rs. 18 million for the cold house. The biggest cold house with 32 metric tons capacity was built at a cost of Rs. 90.6 million. ADB had provided Rs. 30 million in grant assistance for the cold store.
"Wholesalers come to us for prior-booking of potato at a proper rate, we are encouraged now," Sita said.
Manaklal Tharu of Narayanpur produces green beans, chilli, tomato and other

vegetables. "Selling is not a problem," he said.
Tharu sells his vegetable in the nearby market and if he does not get a fair price there, he sends it to Kalimati.
The district is also famous for producing honey and lentil. Market management was not possible only because the farmers, local entrepreneurs and business community had not assisted them earlier.
The District Chamber of Commerce and Industry ensured payback guarantee to the farmers. Narayan Prasad Bhusal, the president of Dang District Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the federation had ensured the sale of the products.
"Either we purchase the produce ourselves or we link the farmers with the marketplace," he added. He said that ADB's projects in the district were asked for a payback guarantee and “we cooperated”.