KATHMANDU, JULY 14: Farmers have been earning good incomes by producing seeds in Chitwan. Farmers of Bharatpur Metropolitan City-14, Patihani, have been earning more than Rs 65 million annually by producing original seeds. Umanath Poudel, chairman of the Advanced Seed Growing Farmers Group, said that the farmers have earned an annual income of Rs 65.36 million by producing paddy, wheat, zucchini, lentils and kidney bean seeds.
According to him, the farmers in the Group produce as much as 800 metric tons of paddy seeds, 425 metric tons of wheat seeds, 51 metric tons of maize seeds, five metric tons of barley grass seeds, three metric tons of zucchini seeds and one metric tons of lentil seeds. Farmers have been selling paddy seeds at Rs 37 per kg, wheat at Rs 40, maize at Rs 80 and mustard at Rs 150 to Rs 200 per kg.
Improved seeds popular among farmers
There are 550 farmers who are members of the Group established in 2059. There are only 99 share-holding members. It is also the first organization recognized by the Government of Nepal for original seed production. The seeds produced here along with the logo reach Jhapa in the east to Kanchanpur in the west. Shantraj Acharya, joint secretary of the organization, said that the organization pays more money than the market price to purchase seeds.
“Keeping in mind the production of quality seeds, inspectors come from the seed laboratory Hetauda to inspect the crop," he said, "We have been paying three rupees more for paddy and six rupees more for wheat than the market price.” Acharya added that every year the organization gives subsidies worth Rs 500,000 to the farmers. The organization has been producing seeds in an area of four bighas.
Earlier, it was producing seeds in 10 bighas. According to Dr Karna Bahadur Bhandari, a consultant of the organization, the same person has been selling seeds worth up to Rs 1.5 million. He said that the company, which is currently producing original seeds, also has a plan to produce hybrid seeds. Farmers from Phulwari and Parbatipur have joined this organization after buying seeds at good prices. Deepak Adai of Ward 14, Patihani, Bharatpur Metropolitan City, says that it has been easy to work after joining the organization. “I have been producing paddy and wheat seeds for 10 years. In the first three years, we had to sell after bargaining with the traders,” he said, "After coming here, even if it is a couple of bucks more than other places, there is an advantage. Tractors and threshers are taken as soon as they are called.” He has sold 160 quintals of only wheat seeds this year and has been sowing rice seeds in three and a half bighas of land.
Mathura Mahato of Patihani produces paddy, wheat and mustard seeds. He sold 37 quintals of paddy seeds and 27 quintals of wheat seeds this year, but said that the production could be further increased if fertilizers and pesticides were made available on time.
