DOLAKHA, Jan 13: Commercial farming of kiwi fruits has begun in remote Thangbaru of Ward 6 in Kalinchowk Rural Municipality.

Local farmers have started kiwi farming in land plots that had remained barren since long with the support of the rural municipality as well as other organizations.

Bin Kumar Thami, chairperson of the rural municipality, said the rural municipality encouraged locals to start commercial kiwi farming to utilize land plots that had remained barren for years with the migration of youths to urban areas. "We have integrated 200 ropani of barren land in all wards of the rural municipality and declared it pocket area for kiwi farming. The rural municipality will help local farmers to build necessary infrastructure," Thami said. "Our plan is to declare 214 hectares of land in the district as kiwi pocket areas."

Rajan Chhetri, district coordinator of Namsaling Community Development Center, said the center has distributed 2,514 kiwi saplings to 134 farmers of Thangbaru free of cost. 

Thami said that the rural municipality will now provide funds to the farmers to build T-bar trellis in their farm and irrigation canal.  

The rural municipality hand conducted lab test of soil in Thangbaru to ascertain whether the area is suitable for kiwi farming. District office of Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project had conducted the lab test.

Mohan Khatiwada, chief of Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project Office, Charikot, said Thangbaru, which is situated 1,900 meters above sea level, is suitable for kiwi farming.

Local farmers are happy to start kiwi farming in fields where they have always planted traditional crops like maize and millet. "I will tend to kiwi plants with great care. Together, we can promote Thanbargu as a kiwi village of the district," Hira Pandey, a local of Thangbaru, said.

 
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