To whom grass is giving introduction and money

Although it was agreed to plant grass, no one knew what to plant, how to plant it, where to get the seed plants. Gopal himself searched on YouTube and got information about grass species, application time, fertilizers, seeds, plants, etc. Consulted agricultural technicians in Nepal through social media. After being advised that grass could be cultivated in his garden, he entrusted his brother-in-law with the task of planting grass. The plants were procured by contacting grass firms in Haryana, Maharashtra and Pune in India.

Gopal, who lived in Dubai for 13 years, got the desire to grow grass after seeing the Khasibo there. When I went to buy a goat, I saw a fat goat. I went to the farm to see what they were fed in this desert. They are fed by making advanced grass silage,' he said, 'After seeing that, after returning to Nepal, I felt the desire to raise goats.

In the beginning, since there was no one at home who could arrange the soil for grass cultivation, he started grass cultivation in partnership with another friend from Gulmi. Farming started with the agreement that he would invest cash himself, partner would oversee the firm. But even though he invested 8 lakh 12 thousand rupees, after being cheated by his partner, he started grass cultivation at home.

When he returned home after 4 years in the grass firm he started while abroad, grass was grown in 110 plants. After returning home, we dug a road to the grass farm and sold 10 lakh rupees of grass plants in the first year based on general contacts. "In the first year, we could not do much publicity and we sold 1 million worth of grass to private firms from 20 districts. Next year, we hope to sell 20 to 25 million," he said. '

There are 50 types of grass on the 110 ropani land, including private and leased ones. In which 18 types of Napier, American Five G, Joint King, Halfred, Bajuracross, Badame, Mulato and others are the main ones. This year, 200,000 dal grass plants including Badhar, Chiuri, Kimmu, Raikhannu, Nimaro are being produced. "We test the purchased grass to see if it will be produced here in one year, if it is good, we will produce it commercially the next year," he said. Only 20 ropani of the land is owned, the rest is leased. "We should help the people who want to do something in the village after staying abroad," Gautam Bhattarai, a neighbor who rents land, said, "Now he has done an exemplary job by cultivating grass in the village." During the season, 8 to 9 workers per month have got seasonal employment. Due to his own hard work and investment, he does not have much hope from the government agencies, but he says that it will be easy for the farmers if there is easy availability of water and electricity. "Others we do ourselves, what we cannot do alone is that it would be easy if the three-phase line for the grass silage making machine and water for irrigation were arranged by the government," he says. There is a plan to raise goats.'' They have started rearing 2 cows and 2 buffaloes.

Like Gopal KC, 27-year-old Khagendra Khatri of Gulmi Madane, 24-year-old Gokarna Nepali of Ishma-3, 42-year-old Nokh Bahadur Paudel of Malika-8, 38-year-old Narayan Panth of Chatrakot-3 and Shanta Gyawali of Rurukshetra-4 are also looking for a future in grass. are Gokarna of Ishma says that not only did he and his family's income increase after taking up grass farming, but others also got employment. In his Galaxy Agriculture and Animal Husbandry firm, which cultivated grass in an area of ​​120 plants, 3 people are employed regularly and 12/15 people a day during the season. His firm, which has started grass cultivation since 1976, has 100 types of grass including Napier, Raikhnew, Ipilipil. He said that he sold 42 lakh rupees worth of grass plants last year and raised 55 goats from the remaining grass after selling the plants.

'After raising goats, the remaining grass is not wasted after selling plants, there is no way to know where and how to use it,' he says, 'After raising goats, there is also fertilizer needed for grass, and additional income is also earned by selling goats and goats.' He said that because there was a shortage, he started storing the hay he produced for sale at that time. He claims that he started with an investment of 80,000 and now 5 million has been invested in grass cultivation. He is the one who cultivates the most varieties of grass in Gulmi.

If the local governments buy grass from outside the district and bring it away, the farmers of the district will earn good income from grass, according to Nokh Bahadur Poudel of Malika-8, who started grass farming after his voluntary retirement from the battalion assistant commander of Jan Mukti Sena. After voluntary retirement in 2006, Paudel, who started goat farming, has made the grass farming for goats professional for a few years. "I started this farming because I bought hay bales from other places in the village and distributed them to the group, and the grass was also sold," he said. If the market is ensured, large quantities can be produced.

Even if the local government does not support the farmers in production, it will be a big relief if they support the market for the produced goods. But the government uses its channels to buy from outside. They don't help us in production, nor is there a market arrangement for the produced plants,' he says, 'Our products are taken by middlemen, they don't pay and sell them.' . 'I had a visa for Dubai in my passport, after I started working on the heifer project, I started farming as grass was also sold,' says 27-year-old Khagendra Khatri of Madane-3 Sirseni, 'Now I studied animal technology for 10 months, now I don't know abroad.' story- break He started grass farming with 20,000 kimbu for the first time and now he earns 8.9 lakhs annually by selling grass. "Initially, there was no money to invest, it was sold with a sum of 20,000. I increased the investment with the income from that. Now there are 20 types of grass,' he says, 'This year there is more grass than last year, and it is hoped that the income will also increase.' 38-year-old Narayan Panth of Chhatrakot-3, who returned to his village after 9 years of stay in Qatar and raised grass and goats, says that the local level does not have a program to encourage youth in business.

I invested 5.6 lakhs in grass farming and goat rearing so that the young people in Nepal can get inspiration after going to the Gulf countries. But now I am very disappointed because there is no incentive program of the government," he says, "I have grass plants worth 15/2 million. There is no shortage of coming here to buy grass from outside districts.'

After returning from abroad five years ago, Panth said that he planted grass on 45 ropani land. Then he raised goats to make use of his unsold hay. Planted orange trees. At the beginning, he prepared the structure with the funds and loans he had with great enthusiasm, but when the product was sold, he had to be disappointed. "I didn't ask for a grant, I made the investment myself, I took the training at my own expense, at least now they are asking me to create an environment where the product can be sold, but it doesn't matter," he says, "I will build a resource center for advanced breed goats, they insist that they want one or two bade goats. Shanta Gyawali, a farmer of Rurukshetra-4, says that there is no program, now the enthusiasm is not increasing, on the contrary, it has started to decrease.'' Gyawali, who is selling teosenti grass on 8 plantations to the rural municipality, also sells fruits such as lemons, oranges, mausam, peaches, mangoes, and amla. "We want to produce, but we have to sell it at a price set by others," she says, "It would be good if we could get a price commensurate with the effort." Chief Humakant Pandey said on behalf of Gulmi. "Now the budget from the state for grass cultivation goes directly to the local level, we have looked for 1/2 big firms," ​​he said. There is data of grass cultivation farmers coming to Gulmi from 40 districts to buy grass plants.

Although there is no unified data of income from grass in the district, it seems that commercial farmers earn more than 70 lakhs. Government officials say that farmers who raise commercial livestock have saved money by producing hay of the same value in their own fields.

According to the information given by the local levels, there are only 6/7 farmers in the district who grow grass commercially and sell it. However, there are other farmers who have become self-sufficient by producing the grass they need for their animal husbandry firms. There are also resource centers where groups share seedlings by setting up individual and collective grass nurseries.

There are many farmers in Satyavati and Rurukshetra Rural Municipality and Resunga Municipality who are self-sufficient by cultivating advanced grass. "Farmers who raise commercial livestock in our municipality are almost self-sufficient in advanced breed grass, this is also a good thing for the farmers," said Narayan Khanal, Head of Animal Services Branch of Satyavati, "We buy and distribute 13 quintals of grass annually from farmers within the municipality." 200 people in Rurukshetra. And in Resunga, 15 farmers grow hay themselves.