Nepal

Farmers sell agricultural products on Facebook

Farmers sell agricultural products on Facebook

By Rastriya Samachar Samiti

A local woman winnowing rice grains in Khokana of Lalitpur district, on Friday, December 4, 2015. In Nepal, the economy is dominated by agriculture. Rice is important to the people and the economy of Nepal, where agriculture employs around 80% of the population and contributes 37% to the countryu2019s gross domestic product. Agricultural activities have badly affected the economy due to the earthquake which occurred earlier this year and the ongoing fuel-crisis. Photo: Skanda Gautam

MYAGDI: Locals of Tikot, a village in Myagdi district, have taken to the internet for marketing their agricultural products. They have been using Facebook to advertise their local products and find prospective buyers. It is said that the traders from the market areas have been contacting the farmers on the social media and negotiating the price of different agricultural products. The farmers in the area have been marketing potato, cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, goats and rabbits on the Internet. 'Businesspersons from Pokhara and Beni contact us after we post pictures and prices of the produces on Facebook. We send our agricultural products to the market after publicising the same on Facebook and negotiating the prices over phone,' Dilmaya Armaja, a local farmer, said. Around 200 households in Histan VDC Ward No 4, 5 and 6 have been growing green vegetables. Many farmers also keep goats and rabbits. Agriculture produces worth Rs 20 million grown here are marketed to Pokhara and Beni every year. Myagdi farmers use forfor facebook marketing for agricultural products in Myagdi