KATHMANDU, Dec 16: Fifty eight years-old Tikaram Timilsina Jaisi of Patichaur in Parbat district had never imagined that he would be selling honey produced in beehives at home through internet.
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He has been marketing his honey produce through traditional marketing chains using person to person relationship. But his encounter with some information technology students at the district headquarters some weeks back, changed it all for him. Now he uses online business portal to sell honey and oranges through them, along with reaching out to new customers and learning innovative approaches of beekeeping and orange farming.
When Timilsina heard a group of information technology student explain how using online marketing could help in reaching out to new customers and sell their produces, he was instantly curious about the way virtual marketplace can assist his business to thrive. Along with other local entrepreneurs and farmers, Timilsina also got involved in the discussion and trainings provided by this group of 20 students various colleges in Kathmandu."Finding good market for products was very difficult. I had to struggle hard to get saplings of oranges and other raw materials for beekeeping businesses. But when I heard the youngsters explain how online business can help me overcome those challenges, I realized that technology can be of much help to me," he said. Adding that technology has become must these days, because it is where a lot of youths are. "I am hopeful that the use of online marketing technology will help our business grow," said Timilsina.
This group of students was part of a program that aimed at increasing use of web based technology for enhancing market of local products produced by district farmers and entrepreneurs. Assisted by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in association with Microsoft Innovation Center Nepal through Idea Factory project, they farmers and local entrepreneurs they have developed two web applications, idea store and super store which can be used by the local farmers to sell their produces.
It launched two websites from Kushma of Parwat last week. Of this the nepali.market ecommerce portal aims at providing platform of marketing local produces. This is a shopping site which mainly contains local products that are not getting broader market. The UNDP will assist local entrepreneurs to upload produces of local farmers and entrepreneurs with the help of District Micro Entrepreneurs Group Association (DMEGA), Kushma.
The second store, ideastorenepal.com aims at sharing and exploring ideas of entrepreneurship and investment among local people. It contains ideas on micro entrepreneurship or farming and avails the facility where anyone can share his/her ideas, explore others ideas and seek business partnership and linkages.
"We are providing idea to local entrepreneurs for getting better exposure to their products. I am optimistic that this project will empower the farmers in increasing their productivity, in gaining access to broader market and in enhancing their bargaining power," said UNDP Country Director Renaud Mayer. "This project connects traditional farming to high-end technology driven marketing strategy."
Speaking at the launching of the web application last week amid a special function in the district, Renaud hoped that the effort will be a precedent in sustainable human development too.
Country Director of Microsoft Innovation Center Nepal Allen Bilochan Tuladhar said that the project aims to assist bare foot micro entrepreneurs in accessing broader market for their produces. "Local entrepreneurs can get the actual market price of their product by selling their produces through the super store. This method of marketing helps in removing the middle-man between farmers and consumers and assists farmers get better prices for their produces," said Tuladhar.
Local entrepreneurs are excited to experience the use of technology in selling their products, said Kehsa Pariyar, chairperson of DMEGA), Parbat. "We hope that this project will assist us in expanding our business network, increasing our products portfolio and in improving the quality of our products that meet market demands," said Pariyar.
Shanti Pun prepares Dhaka shawls, but she has not been getting access to the market of her product despite knowing that there is huge demand of those items in Pokhara and Kathmandu. "I can't afford trip to Kathmandu and Pokhara to sell my little products, but with the help of this web application I can sell my items by sitting at my home," Pun told Republica.
Nishan K Aryal, student of Amrit Campus, who is part of the development team that made these web applications, said that entrepreneurs will get notifications on their cell phones when a user places an order for their product and when the item is sold.
"This is our pilot project for branding local products and enhancing its market to a broader market with a use of modern technology," said UNDP project leader Kamal Raj Sigdel. He informed that the project will also expand to other districts if it benefits entrepreneurs and locals.
According to Micro Enterprise Development Program (MEDEP), Parbat, honey, ginger candy, gooseberry candy, dhaka products, hand-made bags and souvenirs, dairy products, organic vegetables and fruits are major produces of the district which it expects to sell using the web application.
