Panchthar farmers busy harvesting radishes

By Our Correspondent,Phidim, Sept. 12: The farmers of Pachthar's Phidim Municipality and Falgunanda Rural Municipality are busy in uprooting radishes in their fields. 

Some of them are busy picking up the root vegetables from their farms, some are taking them to the water source for cleaning, some are washing them, and some are busy weighing the produce and loading onto a vehicle. 

The busyness of the farmers washing radish and loading it onto the vehicle along the Ranke-Lalikharka section road looks very tempting.

Along with Kanchiidokan, Skuldanda, Pauwabhanjyang, Ithung and Ranitar of Phidim Municipality, the root vegetable is produced in Gumbadanda, and Pauwasaratap areas of Falgunand Rural Municipality.

The farmers are not uprooting radishes which they planted in last May-June.

Ranjan Mukhia of Phidim-3 said that the seedlings planted in the soil where potatoes were dug in May and June have matured by this time. At this time and on the same land where the radishes are being harvested, the farmers replant them and uproot in November-December. 

According to him, at this time, the roots are replanted in the uprooted soil. He said that the seedlings planted at this time will become adult again.

"From May to November, we have to plant radishes, uproot them, wash them and pack them for sale. Even if the produce is good, the price is not satisfactory," Rohit Mukhia of Phidim-3, Koich Chowk said.

According to the statistics, 300 families living in four wards – 3, 6 and 8 of Phidim and 3 of Falgunanda – are involved in commercial radish farming. 

Businessmen have been making door-to-door trips to buy the radish produced on land that once used to be left barren after growing potatoes and corn for one season.

Along with the local market, radishes produced here reach different markets in India via Ilam and Jhapa. The root vegetable produced by the farmers here is sold at Rs. 15 to 25 per kg, said Machindra Sunuwar, a businessman. 

According to the data of Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Panchthar, commercial radish production is being implemented in 186 hectares of land in Panchthar district. Last year, 2,163 tonnes of radish was exported from the district.