Journey from Subsistence to Commercial Farming

Ms. Bhana Devi Dhami, 35 years, is a progressive farmer and one of the member of Shramshil Taja Tarkari Utpadan Krisak Samuha residing with her 7 family members including her mother-in-law, husband, 4 daughters and 2 sons at Puntura, Jogbuda-01. She is literate with primary education. Her family by profession is farming and grows mostly cereals and a little bit of vegetables for family consumption in 8 ropani lands. Her family originally from Darchula district migrated to Dadeldhura since 3 years ago in seek of employment for her husband.

Ms. Dhami became a member of the group formed by PAHAL program. She received number of trainings on nursery management, off seasonal high tunnel vegetable production, production plan, bio pesticides and supported by a Silpaulin plastic with a drip set. Firstly, she cultivated off-seasonal vegetables in a single tunnel and seasonal in open field. She earned net Rs. 50,000/- in first cropping season after the success and good achievement from the vegetable. Now, she has constructed 3 high tunnels cultivated with off- seasonal cucumber each of 60 m2. She has been expecting around Net RS. 1, 00,000/- by selling cucumber at Puntura and Jogbuda bazzar from the tunnel only. She and her husband added “hard work will show off”. She was planning to bore water pipe for irrigation supply and extend cultivation area of vegetable.

Finally, she thanked the PAHAL program and program facilitators who brought the PAHAL programs in her village and also motivated to become commercial vegetable farmer.