Manhari (Makwanpur), April 1:

The Chepang and Tamang community in the remote western region of Makwanpur are being lured to banana farming.

Sanumaya Praja of Rakshirangjhakra-8, Laisirang said she was able to make a decent profit by selling bananas produced in the villages here in the markets of Pokhara.

Pokhara has become a popular market for the bananas produced here. Raj Kumar Praja of Lothar, who supplies bananas produced here to Pokhara, said demand for bananas produced here is quite high in Pokhara. Many villagers from Raksirang, Kankada, Khairang and Manhari VDCs have started banana farming on Khoriya land (land prepared for cultivation by felling and burning trees and plants of the land).

Chairman of Agriculture Forest Group, Sajiwan Praja of Rakshirangjhakra-8, Niguretar said villagers have started making some profit after turning to banana farming. “Till a few years ago, nobody believed that banana farming could be profitable but now everyone is lured to banana farming,” he said.

Laxmimaya Moktan of Manhari-2, Rupachuri said she has already sold bananas worth of Rs 20,000 planted on about a bigha of land. The Chepangs and Tamangs of the area, who otherwise were only involved in maize cultivation, are now slowly taking up fruit cultivation as well.

Manhari Development Institution (MDI) with support from DANIDA, UNDP and Small Aid Programme had organised a Khoriya Reform Programme among Chepang and Tamang communities. Coordinator of the Khoriya Reform Programme of MDI, Khop Narayan Shrestha said banana farming in Khoriya land has played a great role in poverty alleviation. He added that the programme is mainly targeted towards the poor.