Gaighat, May 15:

The community fruit and vegetable-farming programme based on forest agriculture farming has brought significant improvements in the economic status of women at Triveni

Village Development Committee, Grasgaun-6 of Udaypur district.

A group of women from 28 households of the VDC have planted turmeric, mango, lemon, litchi, banana and pineapple and some vegetables in around five bighas of forest area of the VDC and have reaped a quite a bit of economic benefit from this farming.

One Rebati Khadka involved in the group said the money earned by the sale of fruits and vegetables is distributed equally among women after deducting expenses each month.

Coordinator of the forest farming programme, Sarita Thapa stating that women of the VDC have become financially independent from the programme said, “Now women don’t have to depend on their husbands for money.”

The women have been involved in income generating fruit and vegetable farming on the forest land of local Triveni Community Forest Users’ Group for the last four years now.

Chairman of the Forest Users’ Group, Nava Raj Pokhrel said women of the village have been able to turn the bare hills of the forest into green and lush forest.

The women of the group said that the programme, if expanded to other villages of the district, might help alleviate poverty from the district.