Janak Raj Sapkota: Innovative Agricultural Practices Changing Lives

Innovative Agricultural Practices Changing Lives

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Changes in traditional societies are related to the innovative ideas and efforts of common people. Only they are capable of changing traditional way of thinking. There are many examples set by the common people, who have broadened the scope of agriculture and other occupations. There are several examples in Nepal and elsewhere in developing societies.

Ashok Sigh Thakuri, from Makwanpur district of Nepal, is one entrepreneur whose idea of creating market for goat cheese, has been recognized by the agrarian society of Nepal. Thakuri, with his individual efforts, has successfully enlightened other farmers who were trying to support their families putting lot of efforts in conventional agriculture. Kanchhaman Tamanag of Okharpauwa village of Nuwakot district, is another pioneer, who was instrumental in motivating small farmers of the area in Strawberry farming.

There are many farmers, with their innovative mind and undeterred efforts, have change the local economic picture of their area and are admired in the society. Janak Raj Sapkota has tried to hunt some of these hidden characters from the society.

Journey with cheese

Cultivating paddy on fertile and well irrigated land was the main occupation of the small farmers of Chitlang, Makwanpur. They were happy with this till a decade ago. With environmental changes in the planet the situation also changed and production of paddy declined to a low level.

Ashok Singh Thakuri, 49, was little different from other farmers. When people were engaged in paddy cultivation, he was doing vegetable farming. For his neighbors and relatives, he was a person with crazy mind. They were even worried for him, talking among them how Ashok would maintain his family. But, Ashok justified himself: he was able to earn enough from his vegetable farming.

Fortunately, his new idea in a conservative land was noticed. He got an opportunity to participate in a training program on goat and cow farming, in France. This program enthused and encouraged him to be involved in agriculture to goat husbandry. This shift was major in Ashok’s life. He developed a strong desire to initiate something new in his own country. He visited some agriculture farm in France and opted for Cheese production from the milk of improved breed of goat back home. He decided this better option for him and family.

After returning back, he started a farm with 10 goats and dedicated himself in the farming. His experiment was a great success. He started producing Cheese and which became instantly popular in the urban market. At present, his production commands respect from the consumers. His production is popular among the prestigious hotels of Kathmandu. Actually, Ashok is unable to meet growing demands.

Ashok has 80 goats in his farm producing 10 liters of milk while demand is of 50 liters of milk per day. To meet this demand, he encouraged his fellow villagers for goat farming. He succeeded in this. Now, he buys milk from the villagers for 60 rupee per liter.

Nepali market has a demand of 30 Kg of goat cheese every day but the production is limited to 5 Kg. Soft cheese and hard cheese has market price of One thousand five hundred rupee and To thousand five hundred rupee per kg respectively. Ashok earns nearly One million rupee from goat cheese every year.

In this endeavor, Ashok has overcome number of hurdles. After returning from France, it took him five months to mastered the proper procedure of cheese making. For some years, he marketed the goat cheese through Local Community Cooperative. His attempt went in vain. He was unsuccessful to sell even Two kilograms of cheese every day. In the process he spent all his money. But, the beautiful part of the story, he didn't surrender.

Two years ago, he visited Belgium to upgrade his knowledge on Goat farming and Cheese production. The Belgian farmers gifted him seven high milk yielding goats and this has greatly enhanced his capacity of producing high quality cheese. Each goat produces 10 liters of milk per day

The Belgian farmers had promised Thakuri to gift another 14 goats which they intend to deliver him in India. But, due to complex legal provisions, it could not be materialized. His attempt to get official support for this also failed. The officials were unsupportive.

Ashok is expanding his business, but also has educated other farmers. The record of the visitors in his farm shows the growing attraction to his novel practice. A few months back, a young person from Laddakh, India, visited his farm and worked voluntarily in the farm for 10 days. According to Ashok, the young person is planning to establish goat farm in Laddakh.

Ashok is proud to be an owner of first and only goat Cheese Production Center of Nepal. He is working on an additional planning to make Nepal self sufficient in goat cheese.

Leader of strawberry village

Kanchaman Tamang, now 50, a resident of Okharpauwa-6, Nuwakot, moved to Himachal Pradesh, an Indian state, as a labor, when he was 15 years old. He worked there as a porter, carrying heavy loads every day for a decade. But He could not save anything for his future and family. Distressful he was, he decided to be back home with little money he had. By the time he reached home, he had only INR 200.00 only. His economic condition remained as it was. He started doing the same old jobs of irrigating fields, carrying loads, helping neighbors in their farms etc.

Frustrated with his precarious condition, he started to spend his evening in local bhattis or impoverish local pubs. But, one day something happened in his life. He came into contact with people who were training farmers and villagers on Strawberry farming. He was among the few who grabbed the opportunity to learn the new agro-farming. He dedicated himself in strawberry farming very faithfully. And it was like a magic turn in his life. His devotion and dedication brought about a drastic change in his life. His economic condition improved a lot from the cultivation of strawberry. His progress did not limit to only to his family. Kanchhaman trained his neighbors and people from surrounding village as well. Kanchha took the lead in popularizing strawberry in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, and surrounding markets.

Kanchha’s strawberry farming spread over six ropani (approximately 128.4 sq fit) area of land. There are seven thousand plants in his farm. He is preparing to sell 20 thousand kilogram of strawberry this year which will fetch approximately 2.3 million rupees.

And, it was unbelievable a fact that twenty five plants costing thirty rupees per plant can change the whole economic geography of a peasant. His success became talk-of-the-town when he earned ninety three thousand rupees from first harvest. He couldn't believe that he earned such huge money. He says in choking voice, “This was the first time I saw such a huge amount of money.”

Kanchaman is chairperson of District Small Scale Entrepreneur Association, besides strawberry farming he has started harvesting another cash crops, Dutch rose. Last year, he earned 75 thousands rupees from two thousand plants of Dutch Rose. He is further planning to farm Yakun (ground apple). His dedication and support from the villagers has changed the farming pattern of his entire village. The farm lands where farmers cultivated maze once a year, not enough for their livelihood even for three months, are now earning millions. Farmers are more than happy. They have insured better life for their children.

Kanchaman's village consists of majority of Tamang. His village’s proximity with capital city is meaningless. Up to this time Okharpauwa was an irrelevant village. But thanks to Kanchha’s dedication, courage and innovative idea, it is being popularized as Strawberry zone.

Kanchaman Tamang, who worked as a porter in neighboring country for a decade, is now busy sharing his story of success to expand that success. He has organized the villagers and established a Multipurpose Cooperative to help the peasants. He is preparing to install a factory to produce jam from strawberry, "Machine has been acquired” sharing his plan, he told, "Our product will hit the market soon.”

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Janak Raj Sapkota

Innovative Agricultural Practices Changing Lives

Journey with cheese

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