Tractor, motor provided for banana plantation

By Our Correspondent,Birtamod, Nov. 28: Agricultural Knowledge Centre has provided a tractor and a motor for banana farming under the banana block programme of Jhapa Rural Municipality.

The Centre has provided a tractor for expansion and modernisation of banana farm with a 50 per cent subsidy to Sadhana Sanskriti Model Agriculture Firm located in Jhapa Rural Municipality-3 and motor for irrigation to other banana farmers.

Vice-chairman of Jhapa Rural Municipality Anju Thapaliya and chief of District Agricultural Knowledge Centre Sagar Bista handed over the tractor and water machines to farmers amidst a function.

Thapaliya said that Chandra Basnet, a local youth who went to Israel for training in advanced banana cultivation, has started banana cultivation in the village after returning from Israel for the past three years.

Basnet has become a pioneer for the marketing of bananas by organising unemployed youth to banana farming after his return from Israel by taking training in banana farming.

To the group under the leadership of Basnet, the Centre has already provided vehicles with subsidy to carry bananas and tractors have also been provided for plowing in banana cultivation.

The Banana Farming Block Programme is in operation in Jhapa Rural Municipality at the initiative of Basnet.

Basnet and other youths are currently cultivating bananas in 50 bighas of barren land.

They are supplying bananas to major cities, including Kathmandu, Birtamod and local market.

Chief of District Agricultural Knowledge Centre Bista informed that the Centre has been helping farmers in reducing production costs and market promotion.