Musikote nutritious flour in market

By Toplal Aryal,Gulmi, Sep,1: After Dhurkot rice, Musikote flour (aato) has now entered the market in Gulmi. The Small Farmers Agricultural Cooperative of Musikot Municipality-3 has introduced the brand “Musikote Makaiko Aato” (Musikote Maize Flour).

The launch event was inaugurated by Musikot Mayor Jivalal Kharel ‘Jeevan’, who praised the cooperative’s initiative, saying it had opened new possibilities in agriculture. 

He highlighted that the flour is highly nutritious and that branding local products would encourage farmers to increase production, thereby helping to achieve economic prosperity.

The National Agricultural Modernisation Programme, Gulmi, supported the branding initiative. 

According to Hari Chhantyal, Chairperson of the Cooperative, a total of Rs. 7.3 million was invested in building infrastructure and branding the maize flour with Musikot Municipality and the Agriculture Knowledge Centre contributing alongside Rs. 1.65 million from the cooperative itself.

The cooperative has been purchasing maize from local farmers at Rs. 200 per pathi (a traditional measurement unit), processing it and packaging it for sale. The flour is now available in 1 kg packets priced at Rs. 130, as well as in 25 kg sacks. The cooperative aims to sell at least 35 tonnes of flour, which will be distributed through Small Farmers’ Cooperatives in Tamghas, Butwal, Kathmandu and across Nepal.

Chhantyal explained that the objective is to promote local products and ensure quality village produce reaches urban consumers. The maize varieties grown in the mid-hill region -- Manakamana, Deuti and Rampur Composite -- are considered particularly good in terms of both taste and nutrition, which is why the cooperative has branded them as Musikote flour.

Ramesh Jaiswal, Chief of the National Agricultural Modernisation Programme in Gulmi, said his office had provided processing, labelling and packaging equipment at an 85 per cent subsidy. The cooperative mainly works in wards 2, 3 and 4 of Musikot Municipality.

Established in 2006, the cooperative has also expanded an integrated model coffee plantation in Dharapani, Wardagaun, covering 160 ropanis with 12,000 coffee plants, along with 400 orange, 600 avocado and 100 macadamia nut saplings.

It now has 1,351 shareholders, with share capital of Rs. 8.9 million, savings of Rs. 149 million and total capital of Rs. 201.3 million.

Gulmi district has 22,418 hectares of maize cultivation, of which 20,513 hectares are for summer maize and 1,905 hectares for spring maize. The annual production stands at about 71,205 metric tonnes of summer maize and 5,967 metric tonnes of spring maize, according to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Gulmi.

However, around 70 per cent of farmers in the district grow hybrid maize varieties such as CP and JK, which has led to a decline in native maize varieties.

Last year, 65 quintals of traditional maize seed produced in Gulmi reportedly found no buyers, according to cooperatives. The district produces about 7.9 metric tonnes of maize seed annually.