The locals had stopped cultivating due to the monkey threat. Even those who had cultivated had not been able to bring in their crops. They were still worried about the monkeys eating their crops like corn and wheat. That is why alternative production has been being sought in Rayadanda, Baglung Municipality-11, for the past three years. Some had started raising goats and sheep. Farmers who were only engaged in raising Rayo vegetables and goats have started cultivating ginger and acacia this year.

Ward Chairman Gyanendra Gautam said that he came to acacia and ginger farming while thinking about crops that can be protected from monkeys. This year, 40,000 acacia seedlings have been planted here. ‘This is a pilot project, if it goes well, we will plant Akbare in the entire ward next year,’ said Gautam, ‘The municipality and Heifer International will support the marketing of farmers’ produce.’ Heifer has been working in the animal husbandry and health sector here for four years. What did the Prime Minister say about monkey control?

Due to the geographical distance from the district headquarters and the inability to produce milk and take it to the market, farmers were only involved in goat farming. Now they have started Akbare and ginger to engage in commercial agriculture. The farmers here have also planted Rayo greens. ‘The monkeys have not eaten Rayo greens yet,’ said local Dal Bahadur Thapa, ‘I think Akbare and ginger can also be saved.’ An attempt has also been made to cultivate vegetables here by building high-tech tunnels. But since it is difficult to protect from monkeys, preparations are being made to plant Akbare in high-tech. In the first phase, 75 farmers here have started producing Akbare chillies. Technician Raju Gautam said that 40,000 seedlings were produced by bringing seeds worth Rs 40,000. ‘It is possible to get a lot of production with a small investment, the weather also supports this area,’ he said, ‘there is no need to worry about the farmers being destroyed by monkeys.’ If this plan is successful, the demand for Akbare will also increase in other villages where monkeys are a threat, he said.

Monkey terror: People towards the city, monkeys towards the village

Dr. Rishiram Sapkota, head of the Veterinary Hospital and Animal Service Expert Center, Baglung, said that farmers have also invested in milk production so that they are not affected by monkeys. In most wards of Jaimini Municipality, farmers have started raising buffaloes for the last 5 years. They send the milk they produce to Baglung Bazaar and Pokhara. Sapkota said that milk production can be increased in places where it can be reached by road transport in a maximum of one hour. The center and Jaimini Municipality have given subsidies based on production to these farmers. Farmers have received subsidies of up to Rs 5 per liter of milk.