Lumjung, October 12:

Living standard of forty-eight farmers of Banjhakhet - 5, Khanche, 12 years after they started commercial farming has gone up.

They had launched the commercial farming in 1995 in 1,100 ropanis of land. A NGO helped them start commercial farming of cardamom by providing improved version of oven for drying and processing cardamom. The NGO gave training for the prospective farmers to take up the farming at commercial scale.

According to a local farmer Garja Bahadur Tamang, now, two more ovens are necessa-ry. “About five-six years ago, I started cardamom farming. I easily earn Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 a month”, he said.

Since the climate also should be supportive for cardamom farming, in Banjhakhet has a favourable climate and the youthd are attracted to this profession.

Cardamom production last year touched 70 quintals in Khanche area only. Another farmer Padam Bahadur Tamang said cardamom farming is easier and that it requires low investment.

“The cultivation yields Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 a year,” he said. A technician at the NGO-run Cardamom Development Centre, Fikkal Guna Raj Poudyal said the area is suitable for cardamom farming. Around 98 per cent of cardamom is exported to India, Pakistan and European countries for different uses like in spices, traditional medicine, wine flavour, perfume, bakery and colour.