By Kailash Lama
Charikot, Apr. 3: Farmers in Bhimeshwor Municipality in Dolakha district have been earning millions through commercial mustard greens farming.
Over 150 farmers from Panchdhara, Hop, Lamatole, Thakurigaun, Manetar, Kalimati, Suire and Sakhine in the municipality are cultivating the plant leaves in some 1,000 ropanis of land.
“We are earning over Rs. 30 million by selling mustard greens in one season. The plant leaves take only one-and-a-half months to grow,” said local farmer Chandra Bahadur Tamang.
Tamang, who has set a goal of earning Rs. 700,000 in the upcoming period, has cultivated the plant leaves in around 10 ropanis of land.
The farmers informed that they grow 1,500 kilograms of the plant leaves in one ropani of land and that they take their produce to Kalimati Vegetable Market to sell.
“Mustard greens grown in cold places such as Makaibari are on high demand. Since it is not the season of the plant leaves, it sells right away. Makaibari is the only place that supplies it during this time of the year, and the farmers are earning handsome money selling it,” said Ramesh Shrestha, a vegetable wholesaler at Kalimati.
At present, the plant leaves are being sold at Rs. 45 to 50 per kg.
“Earlier the plant leaves used to be of no use, so we would give it to the livestock. However, the recent rise in its price has helped us improve our economic status significantly,” said Tamang.