Grape Cultivation Trial Successful in Lupraung, Myagdi

Myagdi. A trial of grape cultivation has been successful in Lupraung, Jaljala Rural Municipality-8, Parbat, which is adjacent to the headquarters of Myagdi, Beni Bazaar.

Tara Kumari Regmi, operator of Shrihari Agriculture and Livestock Farm, located at an altitude of about one thousand eight hundred meters above sea level in Lupraung, has tested grape cultivation.

"Two plants of grapes, brought from India four years ago and planted inside a plastic tunnel, have started producing," she said, "Last year, I sold Rs 35,000 worth of grapes from home at the rate of Rs 450 to 500 per kilo. This year, the yield is expected to increase as more bunches have grown."

Regmi plans to expand grape cultivation in consultation with agricultural technicians if the grapes remain on the vine until they ripen without falling. Regmi, who lived in Baglung Bazaar for five years to educate her two sons, started cultivating grapes, tomatoes, oranges, and raising goats after returning home.

"Since the school was far, I rented a house in Baglung for five years and educated my two sons, who studied up to class five in the village school, up to class 10," said Tara Kumari. "After completing class 10, when my two sons went to Kathmandu for higher education, I returned home and planted orange saplings in the paddy field, and relatives and neighbors advised me not to do something that would fail."

Inspired by the idea of becoming self-employed in the country and moving towards self-employment, self-reliance, and income generation, Regmi's husband, who is a teacher at a local school, has been helping her in the garden during evenings, mornings, and holidays. Her garden has seven hundred and fifty orange and lemon plants. Regmi said that oranges worth Rs 480,000 were sold last year.

She also grows tomatoes along with grapes inside a plastic tunnel. She has planted beans within the growing orange orchard. Grapes are sold from the village. Oranges are consumed in Pokhara and vegetables in Kushma. Regmi, who earns Rs 10 to 12 lakh annually from the agricultural farm, has surprised those who used to criticize her when she planted oranges.

Following her example, most Lupraung residents have started cultivating oranges as an alternative to paddy, maize, and millet. She has received assistance in technology, infrastructure construction, skill-based training, business plan preparation, tours, and exhibitions through the National Agriculture Modernization Project, Jaljala Rural Municipality, and the Growth-Oriented Entrepreneurship and Employment Promotion Program.

Farmer Regmi complained that sending agricultural produce to the market is a problem due to the lack of upgrading the road connecting Naglibang to Lupraung. The problem of monkeys has also become a major challenge. Farmers have complained that hailstones that fell on Jestha 12 this year have damaged food crops, oranges, and vegetable cultivation.