State-owned Nepal Food Corporation (NFC), which procured their produce, has started selling beans and buckwheat of Karnali from its depot in Thapathali, Kathmandu.
NFC has already purchased 387 quintals of beans and 374 quintals of buckwheat from the farmers in three districts of Karnali this year. It plans to purchase 100 quintals of naked barley (uwa in Nepali) once they are harvested in June.
NFC starts buying beans, buckwheat in Karnali
These districts, along with Humla and Dolpa, of Karnali zone are food-dependent districts. But growing farm exports from the district in recent years has indicated that they can be self-sufficient provided that get some facilities, according to government officials.
Following the success of its pilot project of collecting local produce from Karnali zone and selling them in Kathmandu, which was implemented last year, NFC implemented a special program this year to support local farmers. "They (farmers) have added beans and buckwheat in the list of cash crops and are keen to change the prevailing approach that Karnali is dependent on others," NFC Spokesperson Pawan Kumar Karki told Republica.
In general, people in these districts earn cash by selling apple and medicinal herbs, including Yarshagumba.
NFC depots at headquarters of all districts in Karnali had appealed to the farmers to sell their produce, namely buckwheat, beans and naked barley, to NFC. It offered farmers Rs 110 to Rs 122 per kg for beans and Rs 60 to 80 per kg for buckwheat. NFC has been selling beans at Rs 150 per kg and buckwheat at Rs 110 per kg in Kathmandu.
Farmers of Karnali, who would reach NFC depots only to buy rice offered at subsidized price, are now selling their farm produce at the depots. Last year, local famers had sold only around 10 quintals of beans and buckwheat.
"Rise in production volume this year shows that farmers in Karnali are encouraged by our program," Karki said.
Beans procured from Karnali were sold out in just two weeks last year.
"As these beans are cheaper than imported pulses, we expect that this organic farm produce will be sold out soon," said Ramji Gyawali, chief of procurement division of NFC, told Republica. "However, we have been facing problem in selling buckwheat as it is difficult to grind buckwheat in small volume in Kathmandu Valley," Karki said, adding that they are looking for a solution to this problem.
NFC depots in Dolpa and Humla couldn't find any seller this year.
