Jayanti earns 1.2 million from vegetable farming, calls husband back from Korea

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By Our Correspondent, Baitadi, Dec. 2: Jayanti Bijale of Patan Municipality-9 in Baitadi district of Sudurpaschim Province has called her husband back home from South Korea. Her husband, Mohan Bijale, had left the country in search of a job but as Jayanti started to earn more than Rs. 1.2 million in a year from seedlings of vegetables, he returned home to support her. 

Mohan said that his wife's hard work and dedication have made them able to earn a good amount of money in the village and hope that it will be at par with the income he used to make in Korea. 

He said that their annual income is more than Rs. 1.2 million which is made from producing and selling seedlings of potato, banana, cabbage, tomato and onion in about 30 ropanis of land.  

Meanwhile, Jayanti has been elected as the ward member (female) from the CPN Maoist Centre representing Ward-9 of Patan Municipality, and works as a member of village executive as well. 

She said that she came into politics while continuing her works at the agricultural farm, to incorporate farmers' issues in the programmes and policies of the local government.

Mohan had completed the study and training of JTA (Junior Technical Assistant) who provides services to farmers at their homes in the areas of agriculture and livestock. But he had left the country as he couldn't find a good job to earn money enough to fulfil their family demands. 

Now, he is utilising his skills and knowledge in his own farm, and he is happy to apply it. 

Bijale couple sell onion seedlings worth Rs. 200,000 in a season. "We are on the way to earn more money at our village compared to the employment abroad," said Mohan. 

To sell the vegetables produced in their farm, Mohan reaches Kailali, Kohalpur, Narayanghat and Butwal in his own vehicle. He has bought the vehicle with the money he earned while living in Korea. 

According to him, there is no problem of market whatever the amount of vegetables is produced. 

As they use cattle manure in the farm, there is more demand for vegetables from outside the district than within the district. There is a double profit if the vegetables are sold in other districts.

He said that if there is an agency to bring the water from the river one kilometre down the village, vegetable production is likely to increase significantly. 

Own vehicle to transport vegetables

Jayanti has been engaged in commercial vegetable farming for the past seven years, and has been selling more than 1.2 tonnes of vegetables including 300 quintals of potatoes, 200 quintals of cabbage and 200 quintals of other green vegetables and onions in a season. She has produced a cauliflower that weighs up to 5.3 kg. 

After the increase in vegetable production, it was not possible to hire a vehicle every time while transporting the produces to the markets. So Bijale couple bought their own vehicle. Jayanti said that after buying a vehicle, it is easy to transport vegetables of other farmers as well which has also increased their income. The vehicle has saved their time to find an appropriate vehicle to transport the vegetables at the time they wanted it to take to the market. 

A house in Dhangadhi

As their income from vegetable continued to increase consistently, they have built a house with four rooms at the Airport Road in Dhandaghi which is the capital of the province. 

"It has been an obligation to have your own home in a nearby city to provide quality education to your children as there is no good facility of education and health in the village," said Jayanti. 

Gopal Bhatta, Head of Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Baitadi, said that his office has recommended Jayanti for an inter-provincial level agricultural learning tour since she is the leading female farmer in the entire district. 

Jayanti Bijale has also received the President's Award as the best farmer. After vegetable cultivation started in Patan Municipality-9 under his leadership, the locality has been declared as potato pocket area and government support is channelised to the farmers there, said Bhatta. 


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