Agricultural Tool Factory Led by Mahabir Pun Sees Sales Surge, Attracts Visitors

Bara. Small and large agricultural tools manufactured by the Birgunj-based Agricultural Tool Factory are being rapidly sold. The factory, operated under the leadership of Mahabir Pun, Chairman of the National Innovation Center, has already sold tools worth NPR 1.7 million in the first nine months of the current fiscal year.

Ritesh Dev, an engineer at the factory, informed that the target is to sell tools worth NPR 5 million by the end of the current fiscal year. 'We have already researched more than 30 agricultural tools,' he said, '10 types of tools have been manufactured and are being sold.'

Dev clarified that the goal is to produce agricultural tools affordable for all farmers, and work is proceeding accordingly. According to him, the factory produces tools priced from one thousand to 1 lakh rupees.

Engineer Dev stated that machines for planting and weeding maize, paddy, wheat, as well as sugarcane and potato planters, weeding machines, and cutting tools produced in Nepal are being sold in the market.

Mahabir Pun, Chairman of the National Innovation Center, has so far collected over NPR 200 million by selling his book, of which NPR 30 million has reportedly been invested in operating the factory.

'The agricultural tools we produce are being sold within the country,' Engineer Dev said, 'The funds collected from book sales and deposited in the fund are spent transparently based on the decision of the Innovation Center's steering committee.'

The factory has manufactured hand tools as well as machines for planting and weeding maize, planting and weeding paddy, cutting, trolleys for hand tractors, and machines for making fiber from banana fiber.

A total of 45 employees, including technicians, are working at the agricultural tool factory. Their monthly expenses amount to NPR 600,000.

The factory, which was closed in 2059 BS, was taken over for operation by the National Innovation Center in Kartik 2079 BS after signing an agreement with the Government of Nepal for 10 years.

Engineer Ritesh Dev mentioned that due to the scarcity of raw materials and price hikes, obtaining supplies is difficult. 'We have to depend on India for raw materials. Recently, the rising price of iron has caused many problems,' he said.

National Innovation Center Chairman Mahabir Pun was elected from Myagdi in the House of Representatives election held on Falgun 21. People have recently started coming from Myagdi to see the agricultural tool factory being operated under his leadership.

Voters from Myagdi came to observe the agricultural tool factory with the objective of monitoring whether the factory was operating as promised by Mahabir Pun during the election.

Milan Khatri from Raghuganga Rural Municipality-2, Myagdi, expressed happiness that the factory is operating as Mahabir Pun stated during the election.

'We came to see because we heard that Mahabir Pun is running the closed factory with the money collected from selling his book,' he said, 'We came to see what kind of agricultural tools have been made. We voted for him, and he won. We are very happy to see the factory running.'

Dil Bahadur KC from Bhawani, Raghuganga Rural Municipality-2, also expressed great joy at seeing the agricultural tool factory, which had been closed for 30 years, back in operation.