Cucumber farmers making good income

The farmers at Jukepani of Hupsekot Rural Municipality-1 in Nawalparasi Purba are now busy in collecting cucumbers from the field. Jukepani is known as the pocket area of agriculture.

Thisma Rana who used to work in the houses of commercial farmers is now herself making huge income from cucumber farming. She had made an investment of only Rs 12,000 two years back, but made an income of Rs 67,000 excluding operation cost. "Earlier, rice was planted once in a year and cucumber in the other season. But, now, cucumber is grown in all seasons- throughout the year," she shared.

She is happy to inform you that cucumber production has been a major source of income. She reaped benefits from it. "It's the income to run my family. No loan is required," Thisma Rana added.

Most of the farmers at ward no 1 of Hupsekot Rural Municipality are involved in growing cucumbers. They are attracted towards commercial farming of cucumbers after other agricultural products did not ensure much income.

Dilmaya Pariyar has been doing commercial farming of cucumbers throughout the year and reaping benefits. "Some Rs 200 thousand is generated by selling cucumbers excluding expenses. It is out of the cucumber grown in two kathas of land," she explained. She further said if such a good idea had cropped up on time, income could be made cultivating the field and she did not have to send the spouse abroad for a job, Pariyar recounted.

The farmers here have been able to generate the income of Rs 600 thousand excluding the spending by growing cucumbers in 15 kathas of land in a year. The vegetable grown here is supplied to the federal capital, Kathmandu.

The farmers believe if there were no middlemen in the supply of cucumber, they could earn more from the product.

The rural municipality has provided 50 percent subsidy to the commercial cucumber farmers in seeds, mulching plastic, packaging plastic, balances, and ropes, according Chairperson Laxmi Devi Pande.