70,000 tonnes of vegetables being produced in Dadeldhura annually

By Our Correspondent,Dadeldhura, Aug. 23:  The vegetable farming started three decades ago has taken a commercial form. 

After 2050 BS, vegetable farming started from Dola of Amargadhi Municipality-1 and Manana of Ward no.11 which has now spread commercially throughout the district. 

More than half of the vegetables produced in Dadeldhura are supplied outside the district.

Khem Raj Paneru, chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Dadeldhura, said that according to the data of the last fiscal year 2023/24, vegetables are cultivated in an area of 10,635 hectares across the district. 

According to him, about 18,509 tonnes of green vegetables, except potatoes, were produced last year. Out of them, around 9,000 tonnes of vegetables have been supplied outside the district.

After the formation of Agricultural Alliance in Dadeldhura, there has been a wave of commercial vegetable cultivation leaving subsistence food crops production, he said. 

The Alliance was led by the then Agricultural Development Office. 

According to him, women are getting attracted towards vegetable farming after forming a group and conducting a farmer's school in the village. 

Vegetable farming, which started with farmers' groups, is currently being operated by large agricultural firms.

Dadeldhura, which is leading vegetable production in Sudurpashchim Province, has been cultivating vegetables in three seasons namely winter, spring and summer. 

The number of farmers cultivating vegetables in the district is increasing every year and the area under vegetable cultivation is also growing significantly.

According to Agriculture Knowledge Centre, about 70,000 tonnes of vegetables, including potatoes, are produced in the district in a year. 

Last year, 8,900 tonnes of fresh vegetables were produced while planting monsoon vegetable crops in 665 hectares of land in the district. 

Similarly, potatoes were cultivated in 1,370 hectares in monsoon season where around 18,460 tonnes of potatoes were produced. 

According to the Centre, vegetables were cultivated in 1,370 hectares of land in winter season and about 18,460 tonnes of vegetables were produced.

Around 30,000 tonnes of potatoes were produced while cultivated in 1,500 hectares of land in winter season. 

 Potatoes alone worth nearly Rs. 2.5 billion have been produced in the district. 

Besides, cabbage worth Rs. 250 million, tomatoes worth Rs. 150 million and onions worth Rs. 30 million have been produced every year.

Similarly, the production of vegetables, including beans, chillis, carrots, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, Akbare chillis, okras, brinjals, onions, cucumbers, bitter gourds and coriander is also increasing every year. 

Although there is no actual data available, vegetables worth more than Rs. 4 billion are produced in the district in a year.

According to Paneru, Dadeldhura is become self-reliant in vegetables. 

He said, "If all the vegetables produced in Dadeldhura are not supplied beyond, it will be difficult to consume them here. More than half of the vegetables produced here are supplied to other districts. Therefore, some vegetables are being brought in Dadeldhura during the two months of rainy season.

He said that vegetables are supplied from Dadeldhura to Kailali, Kanchanpur, Doti, Achham, Bajura, Baitadi, Bajhang and Darchula, among other districts. 

Farmers said that the supply of vegetables produced here to other districts has increased because the price of vegetables produced here is higher in other districts.

"Hoteliers of Dadeldhura look for cheap vegetables, so vegetables come from the Tarai and India," said Bhakta Shahu, a vegetable trader. However, as vegetables produced here have become a brand, they fetch good price in other districts. That is why we have sent vegetables elsewhere.”