TAPLEJUNG: A youth of Hangdeva VDC of Taplejung district has earned hundreds of thousands from commercial tomato farming in his own. Devendra Maden who once had left for Saudi Arabia for job says, “I have earned more than I used to get in the foreign land.” He says he earns about Rs 100,000 in a season by supplying tomato to the markets.

Similarly, other farmers have also been lured towards commercial tomato farming due to the successful story of Maden. Gauri Kant Bhattarai of the same VDC has also begun the profession of late. District agricultural development office, Taplejung, informed that commercial tomato farming has been popular among the farmers in different VDCs including Dokhu, Phungling, Phoolbari and others. The farmers bring their products to the Nibare and Mangalbare Haat bazaar in Phungling.