KATHMANDU, July 2: Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives is honoring five top performing farmers with ‘President Best Farmer Award’ on Wednesday.
The government started honoring exemplary farmers with President Best Farmer Award from Fiscal Year 2014/15, honoring their contribution to farming sector and encourage more youths to farming.
The award will be presented to the farmers on Wednesday.
Rajendra Raj Panta from Palungtar Municipality Ward 7 of Gorkha, Yogendra Bahadur Khadka from Bharatpur Metropolitan City Ward 23 of Chitwan, Lal Bahadur Sunar from Khajura Rural Municipality Ward 2 of Banke, Baualal Mukhiya from Nanupatti Rural Municipality Ward 9 of Dhanusha, and Ram Bahadur Kunwar from Tikapur Municipality Ward 1 of Kailali are the recipients of President Best Farmer Award of FY2017/18.
Five farmers receive President Best Farmer Award
According to the ministry, Rajendra Raj Panta, who has been adjudged excellent farmer, will receive cash prize of Rs 200,000, while for others will receive Rs 100,000 each.
All District Agriculture Development Offices across the country selects best farmers from the respective districts, based on the framework for President Best Farmer Award Program Implementation. Following which, the selected farmers will have to compete with farmers at the regional level. The best farmers will be selected by a central technical committee formed by the agriculture ministry.
The farmers are awarded every year on the occasion of National Paddy Day (Ashadh 15). However, the award ceremony has been postponed by five days this year due to some technical problem, according to the ministry.
The ministry established the award in honor of the contribution of farmers to agricultural sector. The award also aims to encourage farmers to adopt innovative farming techniques and encourage more youths toward agricultural sector.
Although the government is honoring best farmers year, farmers are still dissatisfied with the government. They say that the government has been failing to arrange seeds, fertilizers and other inputs to farmers on time. Farmers also say that the government has failed ensure market for their produces.
RAJENDRA RAJ PANTA
Rajendra Raj Panta of Gorkha is involved in cow farming for the last one and half decades. Panta, who began farming with seven cows, now has 235 bovines in his farm. His cow farm has now become a center for learning for other farmers willing to start cow farming. Panta readily shares farming techniques and his experiences to other farmers. Pant sells 1,000 liters of milk every day, while 30 youths are employed in his farm. He is also growing nutritious fodder in 400 ropani of land. Panta is not only a farmer, but a teacher for other farmers.
Yogendra Bahadur Khadka
Yogendra Bahadur Khadka entered goat farming in 2014, introducing Boer breed of goats in Nepal. Born in Myagdi, Khadka used to work in the construction industry until some years before. He entered farming in Chitwan district, borrowing Rs 1.2 million from a bank. His goat farm is covered in two bigaha of land. Similarly, he has cultivated nutritious fodder in eight bigaha of land. At present, Khadka has 250 Boer goats in his farm and 101 mother goats. He has been supplying goats from his farm to Ilam, Nuwakot, Nawalparasi, Achham, Pyuthan, Ramechhap, Solukhumbu, Kaski, Rupandehi, Dang, Jhapa and other districts too. Khadka sells more than 400 Boer goats annually.
Ram Bahadur Kunwar
Ram Bahadur Kunwar from Kailali is involved in commercial farming of banana for the past three decades. He has spent all his life in his banana farm. His farm spreads over 45 bigaha of land in Kailali. Not only Kunwar, his family members, including wife, two sons and daughter-in-laws, are also involved in banana farming. Satisfied with his profession, Kunwar says that most of the workers in his farm are young girls and boys. He has given direct employment to 40 people, while 150 others are indirectly involved in his farm.
