Farmer Field School promotes farming

BY HARI KRISHNA SHARMA,Muktinath, Mar. 30: Pasang Gurung, a farmer from Namasung in Lomanthang Rural Municipality-2 of Upper Mustang, has been increasingly attracted to commercial and modern agriculture. 

Due to climate change, Pasang was displaced from Samjung village 18 years ago and resettled in Namasung. Through the Farmer Field School run by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Area Office in Lomanthang, she has become actively engaged in farming.

Like Pasang, another local, Chhewang Tashi Gurung, has also been involved in agriculture, livestock farming, and apple cultivation.Locals who actively participate in programmes conducted through the Farmer Field School are now engaged in improved crop production, fruit farming, and livestock rearing. 

These efforts aim to reduce the hardships caused by natural disasters linked to climate change. After learning modern agricultural techniques and processes, the locals have become enthusiastic about farming.

In Namasung village, ACAP and Lomanthang Rural Municipality have been providing annual support for agriculture, livestock, and fruit farming. 

According to Umesh Paudel, chief of ACAP Lomanthang, 18 households have been receiving regular assistance to modernise traditional farming practices and promote soil-suitable crops.

“We have emphasised modern agricultural practices through both theoretical and practical knowledge. We also compare the productivity of local and improved crop varieties, incorporating the experience of senior farmers,” said Paudel. He added that priority and subsidies were also provided based on local farmers' capacity.

There is a strong potential for potato, barley, and apple farming in Namasung, and training programmes conducted by turning farmland into practical classrooms have proven effective. 

Village head (Mukhiya) Pema Chhiring Gurung stated that turning fields into spaces for teaching and learning has led to rapid progress in a short period.

According to Mukhiya Gurung, in Upper Mustang, where only one crop cycle is possible each year, efforts are being made to transform traditional farming practices by improving planting methods, seed selection, nursery management, and land preparation.

Namasung is located to the east of the Chhoser River, near the Jomsom-Korala National Pride Highway, and can be reached after about a 10-minute walk from the road. 

Each household has constructed homes and cultivates crops on approximately 100 ropanis of land. Efforts are also underway to protect the settlement from riverbank erosion and to provide regular health check-ups and related services.