English teacher-turned-farmer, inspiration for youths

By Mina Kadel,Kawasoti, May 17: Migration of youth for employment is increasing. But Narayan Lamichhane of Kawasoti has been an inspiration for youths who feel there are no employment opportunities in Nepal. He feels his daily job of commercial crop farming is equal to what can be seen abroad. 

Lamichhane, 45, of Kawasoti Municipality-16, Nawalpur spends his day weeding and taking care of vegetables. His source of income is his farmland. Many of his friends have migrated abroad for employment, many of them are working as teachers. But he left teaching and turned towards farming.

He said, “I have been staying at home farming crops; in some seasons, the income is better than expected while in some it’s less. This summer, I am busy selling watermelons.”

Lamichhane, who had been an English teacher in schools and colleges for the last 14 years, has left teaching to pursue farming. 

Currently he is engaged in organic farming; for the last seven years he had been doing commercial farming. His farm remains green throughout the year. Farming seasonal and off-season crops, his day remains busy.  

He said there has been no issues in selling the vegetables and watermelons that he farms. It is being consumed in the local market of the district. He said that because they don’t use any pesticides, he is able to sell his crops from his farm on a daily basis. 

His income is able to cover the interest of the agricultural loan of Rs. 2 million taken from the bank along with household expenses. He is also happy to get fresh vegetables picked from the garden at a discounted rate. He said that if there is high yield, he takes the crops in his own vehicle and sells them himself if they are not sold directly from the farm. 

Currently, Gourd, Sponge gourd, Bitter gourd, Tomatoes, Beans, Pumpkin shoots and Watermelons are being produced in his farm. 

Min Bahadur Mahato of Kawasoti-17 has also been earning a good income selling watermelons. Renting around two acres of land, he has been farming various crops with watermelons being farmed at this time. After farming bitter gourd in the section where he is currently farming watermelon, farming watermelon has been lucrative for him. 

He has been farming Saraswati variety of watermelon which, according to him, takes 60 days to be ripen. He added that around 80 quintals have been sold. 

He mentioned if cultivated around mid-March, watermelons will be produced by mid-May. He said that he expected an earning of Rs. 600,000 but as production is high his income may also increase. He also said that they sell around two quintals directly from the farm as they do not use pesticides. 

Farmers from Nawalpur have been attracted towards watermelon farming as it has been generating good income. Farmers are happy that watermelons from their own farms are being sold.