Ram maya

Ram maya progressing as a commercial farmer

Ms. Ram maya Tamang, 36, a permanent resident of Jaistar-6 of Gajuri Rural Municipality, stay with her husband, two sons, two daughters, father and mother in law in her family. Her husband Pratap Tamang works as labor in that village. Mr and Mrs Tamang used to engage in agriculture since earlier for their livelihood. They used to cultivate food crops- cereals (rice) in their 7 ropani of land out of 10 ropani they possess in total. Despite their hard work and sufficient land, agriculture was just in subsistence based. It was being difficult for them just to fulfil basic requirements of their big family members.

Ms. Rammaya is one of the active and energetic member of “Jaistar Agriculture Farmer Group” facilitated and supported by FOSTER project since June 2017. She had received trainings on Group Management, Saving and Credit, Vegetable Nursery Raising, Plant Protection and Management (IPM), Post- harvest management, through the project. Also, for demonstration of some high yielding varieties of cucumber seeds cultivation she was selected to cultivate in her field from her farmer group for being more laborious.

“I become familiar with several new techniques like soil solarization, seedling raising in plastic tray, use of coco pit and nylon net, proper handling of different tools of IPM and making liquid manure (jhol-mol) through the trainings,” she shared. Project supported quality improved vegetable seeds of different high yielding varieties of cucumber. (Varieties- Kamini, Namdhari- NS 408,Himal and Bhaktapur Local) She has planted vegetables (cucumber) in 2 ropani (1,000 sq m) of land and other seasonal green vegetables in her 2 ropani (1,000 sq m) of land now.

After taking technical training in vegetable farming, she purchased seeds (tomato, bean, bitter-gourd), plastic tray, coco pits, micronutrients and nursery plastic sheet herself and applied skills that she learned during the training. She has already harvested some cucumber.

“We produced 250 KGs of cucumber and earned twenty- five thousand rupees from the investment of Rs 7000 in this season. More cucumbers are at fruiting stage in the field and additional 200 KGs will be harvested soon and she has expected to earn fifteen thousand more from it. Also, she earned twenty thousand by selling 300 KGs of Bean. Tomato and Bitter gourd also will be ready for harvesting soon. She expects to earn sixty thousand by selling tomato and bitter gourd. Now I am thinking to put my all efforts to continue vegetable farming in more land in commercial way,” she shared.