Commercial vegetable farming popular in UdaypurHimalayan News Service Gaighat, April 13 Commercial vegetable farming has become a source of income among the backward and marginalised community in Udaypur district. Farmers around the district headquarter Gaighat and Triyuga municipality have been planting various vegetables for commercial purpose. “I have never imagined that vegetable farming could earn living for seven people and buy 12 kattha of land within five years of commercial vegetable farming,” says Fidai Miyan, a local farmer of Triyuga municipality ward No 7. Miyan, whose living was used to earn by woodcutting and carrying loads in the market, has now have his own business and house. “I started vegetable farming in 1998 on five katthas of leased land. In those days it become a kind of addiction to me, from which I’m earning about Rs 60,000 annually,” he shares. Nowadays, the commercial vegetable farming is not only earning living of Miyan, but also it has become a core attraction of about 250 Muslim family of 30 households in the area. According to Gaighat Commerce and Industry office, daily transactions of vegetable in the local market is about Rs 40,000 and the majority of supply belongs to the Miyan community. Simpler availability of fresh vegetable at Gaighat has also benefited the local hoteliers and the customers. “Our business has also boost up and complaints on vegetables have now almost over as we use fresh local vegetables,” says Dahal Man Rai, a local hotelier of Gaighat. As the agricultural development office initiated for the fair distribution of vegetable seeds, fertiliser, agro-tools and technical support for the last few years, the commercial vegetable farming is increasing every year, states Narnath Regmi, a technical officer at the office. According to Regmi, vegetables such as cauliflower, tomato, pea, spinach, chilly, potato, pumpkin and gourd are recommended and high yielding in the area. Vegetable farming for the commercial purpose is now not only limited at Triyuga municipality, it has also become best income source to the farmers of Gaighat, Asari, Motigadha, Jhulke, Bagaha and Jogidaha VDCs. Besides generating income for the poor and backward farmers in Udaypur, commercial vegetable farming has also helped at drastic change in socio-economic transformation leading to educational awareness, states Tilak Katuwal, teacher of Satyadevi Primary school at Jhulke VDC. “The number of students enrolling the school has significantly increased for the last few years and the majority holds Muslim children,” he adds.