Exemplary Farm Venture

Farming holds a great potential in Nepal. That's because of its diverse climate and land and abundant supply of fresh water, which make it possible to grow a wide variety of crops, including cereals, fruits, vegetables and oilseeds. However, this tremendous potential largely remains untapped for several challenges. The first is attitudinal problem. Farming is seen as something relatively uneducated or poor people do. So, educated people are reluctant to labour in the field, and many others are increasingly choosing to fly abroad as migrant workers over tilling their land for food. The other is a lack of modern technology. The reason why growth in agricultural production here is sluggish or even dwindling is because our farmers lack access to modern farming techniques and cutting-edge technology that together help yield bountiful harvest. 

 Unprofitable or unproductive, traditional farming has failed them, forcing many out of the occupation. Making matters worse is the dearth of good quality seeds, chemical fertilizers and other inputs. The third factor is inadequate infrastructure such as advanced irrigation system denies many of our farmers the chance to grow crops year-round. Fourthly, limited market access. A lack of quality roads and geographical barriers make transportation of produce from farm to cities a time-consuming and costly endeavour, raising their prices and making them unaffordable to many. 

But, despite these obstacles, there are some farmers who have mastered the ins and outs of not only ways of lucrative farming but also about how to get their produce to the market profitably. Krishna Bahadur Moktan of Makwanpur is one of them. He has been earning a good income through trout farming. Along with the fishery, he has prospered handsomely through farming of kiwi and vegetables.  What started as commercial fishery farming by building a 9-section pond, watered by raceway, for trout farming in an area of two ropanis of land with an investment of Rs. 6 million in 2020 has now become a business selling produce worth over Rs. 2.5 million. A kg of fish fetches him Rs. 1,500. By producing and selling some 1,700 kg of them annually, his annual net profit is to the tune of Rs. 1.2 million. 

This is an enviable income for many, an amount only a few of the best paid salaried employee can earn, if at all. Moktan started rainbow trout fish farming because the water from the community forest in his area was found to be suitable for it. The interesting thing about the hardworking farmer is that he had to step into this venture after being disqualified from going abroad as a migrant worker. We are confident that he would not have earned as much money as a labourer as he's doing now amid the comforts of homeland. His success is a testimony that opportunities abound here for those keen to seize them. In a country where hundreds of snow-fed perennial rivers meander, there's no dearth of such fresh water for many others to follow in the footsteps of Moktan.    

With food inflation going through the roof, the price of food is already too high for many to afford. If concrete measures are not taken now to make farming appealing, we might even have to face the shocking price of the staples like rice, vegetable, wheat, edible oil, among others, in the near future as a result of production shortfall. Only when farming occupation becomes attractive and respectful will our countrymen be incentivised to toil in the field, raising the production, lowering food price and strengthening food security.