Ribdikot farmers sell Akbare chilies worth Rs. 60 million

By Our Correspondent

Tansen, Nov. 8: Farmers of Ribdikot Rural Municipality have sold Akbare chilies worth more than Rs. 60 million. 

Farmers of different wards within the rural municipality have sold Akbare chillies worth more than Rs. 60 million this year.

Farmers here have been able to earn from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 1 million from the sale of Akbare chilies.

The farmers of Palungmainadi, Bhairabsthan, Khasyuli, Deurali and other places of Ribdikot Rural Municipality started commercial cultivation of Akbare chilies four years ago.

Narayan Bahadur Karki, chairman of the rural municipality, said that the income of the farmers who have been cultivating chilies commercially, has been increasing yearly and are happy after getting good price for them. 

The chili cultivation started four years ago in the rural municipality with the support of Prime Minister Modernisation Project.

"Last year, chilies worth Rs. 40 million were sold. But chilies worth Rs. 60 million have been sold so far, this year,” he said.

Farmers here have sold chilies for Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 per kg this year. 

The rural municipality has been coordinating with noodle companies and other chili purchasing companies of different places for the sale of chilies produced by the farmers within the rural municipality. 

Chairman Karki said that farmers are selling Akbare chilies at a reasonable price in coordination with the rural municipality. 

The rural municipality has been providing seeds, plastic for tunnels, pipes for irrigation and technical support for chili cultivation free of cost. 

Pragya Lamtange, agricultural technician of the rural municipality, said that the number of farmers cultivating chilies has been expanding every year due to good income from chili farming.

Similarly, farmers have also been expanding the areas of chili farm every year. 

Laxman Aryal, a farmer of Ribdikot Rural Municiplaity-3, said that as farmers have been getting good income from chili, it has become the main source of their income. 

He said that he sold around 20 quintals of Akbare chili produced from 1,500 plants.

About 1,000 farmers are currently active in Akbare chili farming, which was started four years ago with the aim of making farmers self-reliant and commercial.