50-year-old Munaram Chepang of Hapani was preparing vegetables early in the morning by lighting a torch. The ambulance was descending from the upper part of the village. So he was in a hurry. Tomatoes were kept in crates and green banana pods and good greens of Rai were in sacks. He was loading these vegetables in the same ambulance. The ambulance that arrives at his village before the sun rises is not an 'agricultural ambulance' carrying fruits and vegetables.

Hapani is the only rural municipality of Chitwan in Ichchakamana rural municipality-2. It has been one and a half years since 'Krishi Ambulance' started coming to this hilly village of the district. 75 percent of the rural municipality and 25 percent of the Hapani farmers' group have bought an 'agricultural ambulance'. Hapani village is inhabited by the extremely marginalized tribal Chepang community. The village where Chepang lives is a bit dry and the agricultural produce is not productive.

But Hapni's story is a little different. Vegetable farming flourished here even before the road. First, he had to carry it on his head to sweep the vegetable market. Now the 'Agricultural Ambulance' reaches the garden to pick up vegetables. "From February to June, due to a little dryness, good vegetables do not grow. Otherwise, the vehicle will be heavy every other month," said Tek Bahadur Chepang, president of Hapani Farmers Group.

Vegetable farming was started in this village from 2058. But at that time there was no road in the village. Farmers used to carry their heads down the Mauva River, which falls on the Prithvi Highway. From there, he used to go to Muglin market in the west by car and sell vegetables. "We used to get up at 2 am and go down the Mauva River with heavy loads. It took four hours to reach there. "Vegetables were not sold until they arrived early," said Munaram. So now it is a great relief when a car comes to the village to take vegetables. 

It's been two years since we left the village. "After the agricultural ambulance, the transportation cost has also become cheaper for us. Other vehicles had to pay 6/7 rupees per kilo. It has kept it at 4/5 rupees,” said Munaram. He grows vegetables on 10 acres of land. I have not made such a big income. One lakh to one and a half lakh rupees have been saved in a year. The children were educated, even though it was towards Pakha, land as much as 13 kathas was added," said Munaram.

Like elsewhere, the Chepang community of Hapani also used to plant millet and maize in five fields. There is a land where rice cannot be harvested. When the millet and corn were not enough, the market had to go down and buy rice and eat it. The Chepang community of Hapani, who were forced to buy rice by taking loans, gradually began to grow vegetables. I got married in 2055. Expenses increased. I saw that vegetables were sold well when the Muglin market was shaking with worry," said Munaram.

Pancha Bahadur Chepang from Hapani is the current ward president. He was a manager in Shaktikhor's Chepang Cooperative. Also trained in nursery and vegetable production. Munaram, Panch and others consulted and started vegetable farming in the village. That effort started bringing money into the village. Others also joined vegetable farming. There are 65 houses in the village. All houses belong to Chepang community. 

Almost everyone has cultivated vegetables. 35 families belong to our group," said Tek Bahadur Chepang, president of Hapani Farmers Group. He said that there are farmers in the village who earn between 2/5 lakh to 4/5 lakh rupees a year. According to Tek Bahadur, he brings in 70 to 80 lakh rupees per year by selling vegetables. 

There is a lack of irrigation in the village. Tek Bahadur said that there is not much vegetable production from February to May. From June to January, cucumbers, tomatoes, bananas and green vegetables are good. Oranges also grow in the nearby groves. It was difficult for us to make salt oil. Seeing the demand in the market, we planted vegetables, it is going well, said the chairman Tek Bahadur. 

Farmers are complaining that they are not getting the same price for the vegetables they have grown with hard work. ``You have to accept the price that the merchant says. If they don't pay the price, where should they wander with their heads? The problem of transportation went away. Now we are worried about the price, we managed to arrange it,' Munaram said.