Farmers gathered in one place carrying sacks of cardamom. Traders came to the village carrying a lot of money. There is a lot of money on the table. The news that farmers of Sankhuwasabha have earned money by selling cardamom, known as 'black gold', has recently become popular on social media.

Farmers in Sisuwa Gogune village of Silichong Rural Municipality-1 in Sankhuwasabha have earned an income of Rs 11.27 million in a single season from collective cardamom farming. There is a happy atmosphere in the village after the villagers earned Rs 11.27 million from the sale of cardamom in a single season. Farmers who have traditionally cultivated in small plots have achieved such a huge income by adopting the concept of collective farming. The collective cardamom farming started by 47 farmers of the village has become an example for this area. According to local farmer Bhupal Kulung, this year, 115 maunds of cardamom were collectively produced in the Sisuwa Gogune area. The produced cardamom was sold in the village at a rate of Rs 98,000 per maund. '

This time, we got a good price for cardamom, and the production was also satisfactory,' said Bhupal Kulung, 'The traders themselves came to the village and bought cardamom, so we didn't have to worry about transporting it to the market.'

The total amount received from the sale of cardamom has been distributed equally to all the participating farmers after deducting all the expenses incurred in farming throughout the year. Kulung informed that after deducting all the expenses such as tillage, fertilizer, maintenance of the garden, picking, drying and transporting the cardamom to the kiln, the remaining amount has been distributed equally by 47 people. 'After deducting all the expenses, each farmer received 240,000 rupees,' he said, 'There was no difference between those who have less land and those who have more, everyone got equal profits.'

It is said that the biggest advantage of collective farming is the strengthening of mutual trust, cooperation and unity. 'We all became like a family, we shared the profits equally and the sorrows equally,' said Kulung.

Another farmer, Suryakumbha Rai, said that after the traders came to the village and purchased cardamom, the farmers no longer had to find a market. 'Earlier, we had to carry cardamom to the district headquarters or other markets, which was time-consuming and expensive,' he said. 'This time, the traders came to the village, which saved us all time, labor, and expenses.'

He said that cardamom farming, being a cash crop, has brought about a big change in the village's economic situation. 'It has made our household expenses, children's education, and daily life easier,' said Rai.

According to another farmer, Sumitra Rai, the belief that creating employment at the local level and increasing cash income will have a positive impact on the overall development of the village has increased. 'If we can find work and earn a good income in the village, why did we have to go abroad?' she said. 'It plays a big role in keeping the youth in the village.'

Farmers have planned to expand the area of ​​cardamom cultivation in the coming days. They also demand the support of the local government and stakeholders for disease management, quality production and long-term market security.

'Cardamom disease is also a problem from time to time,' said Sumitra. 'If technical support, training and permanent market arrangements are made, we can produce better.'

Farmers also say that a policy is needed from the local level to encourage collective farming. She said that with support in grants, technology and market management, production can be increased not only in Sisuwa Gogune but also in surrounding villages.

Sisuwa Gogune's collective cardamom cultivation is seen as a successful example of rural economic reform. Bhupal Raj Mewahang, chairman of the rural municipality, said that prosperity is possible in the village with unity, cooperation and hard work. 'Collective farming, which started with a small effort, has become a source of income worth crores today,' he said. 'This has shown the way to make agriculture-based lifestyle respectable and self-reliant.'