Ganesh Budha, who returned after years of working abroad, has overcome challenges in trout farming in his village and achieved financial success with his family.
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Ganesh Budha, 35, of Patarasi Rural Municipality-6, Ghodasain, reaches the pond early in the morning carrying food. He has fish in two ponds. His daily life is spent taking care of the fish. There are thousands of rainbow trout in the two ponds.
After sweating in the hot deserts of foreign countries for a long time, Budha is now enjoying the cool climate of his own village with the fish. ‘Now, fishing is not only a means of livelihood for me, it has also given me an identity,’ he says.
After passing his SLC from Chandannath Secondary School in Jumla, he reached Saudi Arabia in 2012 for foreign employment.
Before going abroad, he had thought, ‘You suffer for a few years, earn money, build a house and life becomes easy.’ But the reality was very different from the dream. The two years spent in hard labor, unfamiliar surroundings, and limited income did not make him financially strong. On the contrary, when he returned to Nepal, he had a debt of about four hundred thousand rupees.
The debt did not allow him to stay at home again. Due to family responsibilities and financial pressure, he was forced to reach Kuwait in 2015. He worked continuously for four years. He earned money, and the debt gradually decreased. But one question kept haunting him, ‘Will I continue to do this for the rest of my life?’
He returned to the village. But the path he chose after returning to the village was not easy. Trout fishing, which requires a large investment, was difficult for him in the village. But he took the risk. He consulted his family, registered ‘Ganesh Agriculture and Livestock Industry’ and started digging a pond in the Khori Chautara near his house.
Although the beginning was enthusiastic, success did not come immediately. When he bought 5,300 trout fry from Haigum in Sindhupalchowk and brought them to Jumla, more than 2,200 died on the way. Months of preparation and millions of rupees of investment were at risk. At that moment, many advised him to quit the business. But Ganesh did not accept failure as the final truth.
He released some of the remaining fry into the pond as a test. As time passed, they all started growing healthily. That successful test restored his confidence. After that, he gradually added ponds, increased production, and today he has become one of the successful trout producers in Jumla.
Currently, about 6,500 trout are being raised in his two ponds. The demand for the fish, which is sold at Rs 1,800 per kilo, is higher than the production. Customers visit the farm and buy fish. Since it is located on the road to Rara, tourists also stop here every day. ‘Some come to buy fish, some just to look . But most of them say the same thing when they return, that this is also possible in Jumla,’ he said.
He added, ‘The trout swimming in the pond are not just fish, they are living symbols of the dreams of those who returned to their village from abroad.’ Ganesh has given the message that the water of opportunity never dries up for those who can sweat on their own soil.
Now, the villagers are amazed by his fish farming. Ganesh’s family is also excited to work together to earn an income .
