Farmers in Kailali Turn Riverbeds into Lucrative Onion Farms Along Karnali River

Puniram Tharu from Tikapur Municipality-8 has been cultivating crops on the banks of the Karnali River for the past five years. He has been utilizing the Karnali riverbanks and islands due to the ease of irrigation and good yields.

He prioritized onion farming in that area. His onion cultivation is quite impressive. Producing 10 to 12 quintals of onions annually from the river island, he also grows coriander, maize, cabbage, and tomatoes alongside onions. He says, "Onions yield well in sand. Since onions require a lot of irrigation, they produce well when irrigation is easily available." He adds, "The barren riverbed is being utilized, and it has become a source of income for the locals."

The area around Satti Bridge, which connects Tikapur in Kailali and Rajapur Municipality in Bardiya, is currently lush green. Small plots have been created in areas consisting of sand rather than stones. Onion cultivation lines these plots. Fifty to sixty households from Ward No. 8, Phantagaun, are cultivating onions on the banks and islands of the Karnali River. This number appears to be increasing every year. Approximately over 700 quintals of onions are produced annually from the riverbed. "One family produces a minimum of five to six quintals of onions. The production is better than expected," says local Samjhani Chaudhary. "The number of farmers cultivating on the riverbed has also increased now. The area has also expanded compared to before." She mentioned that the yield of onions grown on the riverbed is better than those grown in other fields.

Sampurni Chaudhary from Tikapur Municipality-8, Batanpur, has cultivated onions on the river island for the first time. After seeing others cultivate last year, she planted five kg of onions this time and is confident of better-than-expected yields. Sampurni, who goes every morning to irrigate the onions, now feels she should have cultivated a bit more. "The onions have flourished better than I expected. Perhaps because the soil inside the sand remains moist, the balance of sun and water seems right," Sampurni says. "The ones in the riverbed are better than the ones I grew at home."

Pahari Chaudhary from Batanpur has also started onion farming on the riverbed for the first time. After learning that production can come from the unused riverbed, he planted enough onions to meet his household needs. "More than earning income from selling, I am content if I produce enough onions to last me the whole year," he says. "Perhaps next year, I will plant for sale." While new farmers are testing onion cultivation on the riverbed, farmers who have been cultivating for a long time are utilizing the riverbed commercially. Since they do not have to pay anything for cultivation, farmers are expanding their farming with greater enthusiasm.

The local residents are very excited after starting to earn income from the riverbed in an unexpected way. Good income is being generated with minimal fertilizer and less effort. The settlements that used to stay awake all night due to the Karnali River during the monsoon season are now forgetting the hardships of the monsoon thanks to the production from the sandy plains of the Karnali River. "During the monsoon, the current of the Karnali here causes anxiety that anything can happen at any time. The Karnali, which sleeps in winter, has been providing good income to the locals," says local Brihaspati Tharuni. "Farmers nowadays do not remember the hardship of the monsoon, nor do they remember the production given during the monsoon."