Two Youths Cultivate Acabare Chili on 30 Ropanis of Barren Land in Syangja

Syangja. Two youths here have started commercial Acabare chili cultivation by utilizing barren land. Commercial chili cultivation has been started on about 30 ropanis of land in Sircot Pipladanda of Bhirkot Municipality-9, Syangja.

Youths are attracted to Acabare chili cultivation because it yields production and income for several years after planting once, has a good market price, and there is no problem in marketing. Farmer Tanbahadur Gurung said that although chili cultivation has been done in small quantities for the last three-four years, it has moved forward commercially due to good production.

Gurung, who spent eight years in foreign employment, returned to his own village with the thought of doing something in his own place and started chili cultivation. "I decided to cultivate chili in my own country thinking that the sweat shed abroad could be shed on my own soil," he said, "We have planted chili after clearing jungles, barren land, and thickets of 'pati'."

Gurung, who has planted about 10,000 saplings so far, has prepared land for planting 20,000 chili saplings this year. He has taken an additional 10 ropanis of land on rent besides his own 20 ropanis.

"Due to the trend of migration from villages to cities, houses in the villages are becoming empty and land is becoming barren," he said, "I am confident that chili will set an example that one can do something by staying in the village by utilizing barren land and connecting it with income." Businessman Kumar Gurung said that it can be sold at Rs 100 per mana and Rs 350 per kg in the villages.

Due to the high demand for chili, his target is to earn about 10 lakh from chili sales this year. Currently, eight people have been employed for leveling the land and planting saplings for chili cultivation. Chili has been put forward as an alternative because monkeys and other wild animals destroy other crops.

Recently, Bhirkot Municipality has implemented a commercial Acabare cultivation program. Commercial chili cultivation has been started on about 90 ropanis of land in Ward No. 9 of Bhirkot. Ward Chairman of Bhirkot-9, Bhimbahadur Gurung, said that about 100 farmers in the ward are participating in chili cultivation through various groups, cooperatives, and individuals.