Seeing that most of the youth in his neighborhood had gone abroad for employment, 32-year-old Pokhar Singh Dangi of Pimkhola, Triveni Rural Municipality-3, made a passport in 2074 BS.

He also made all kinds of preparations to go to Australia. Seeing that many people were suffering abroad and were returning home in a box after losing their lives prematurely, he planned to go abroad and planted 272 kiwi plants in 2075 BS with the intention of doing something in his own place by investing 40 lakh rupees in his two bighas of land.

Four years after planting, he earned 200,000 rupees in the first year from the kiwis that grew wildly. This year, after most of the 272 plants started bearing fruit, he dreams of earning up to 1 million rupees. To meet the demand of traders and customers, he has prepared to plant kiwis on two more bighas of land. He has planned to secure his future in the agricultural business.

45-year-old Taradev Oli of Madichaur, Bagchaur Municipality-7, worked in a non-governmental organization in 2058 BS. During the then Maoist armed conflict, he left home and went to Nepalgunj and ran Century Spice Industry until 2068. While earning a good income from spices, he was accused of stealing the logo and left the industry in 2070 and returned home to farm for a few years.

After finding it difficult to meet household expenses, he raised 1,000 broiler chickens at home in 2076. After earning a profit of Rs 100,000 in the first year, he registered a firm in 2077 and started raising 20 to 25,000 chickens commercially, earning up to Rs 20,000 annually.

Since last year, he has bought 40 ropanis of land near his house and started cultivating ginger with a dozer. So far, he has invested about Rs 20 million in agricultural business and has been selling chicken and ginger worth Rs 8 million every year. After cutting all expenses, he saved Rs 40 million last year and his goal is to save around the same this year too. He has also provided employment to more than a dozen people engaged in agricultural business. He has now succeeded in becoming the best farmer in the district.

Many youths of the district have migrated abroad, citing unemployment and not being able to get wages according to their labor. While most of the youth are migrating abroad due to various problems, some youths in the district have recently started making their future by engaging in agriculture and animal husbandry. They say that they are engaging in agriculture and animal husbandry with the aim of doing something in their own place, remembering the suffering they face abroad.

Some youths have been earning lakhs of rupees annually by doing agriculture and animal husbandry. Some of them have even given employment to others. Youths who had difficulty in running their businesses in the past have been able to acquire houses and vehicles within a few years of running their businesses. They have recently become a shining example of the fact that there is no need to go abroad by working hard in their own place.

Uttam Thapa, 35, of Ramekhola, Sharada Municipality-7, who was working as a teacher in a private school until a few years ago, said that he has been engaged in commercial vegetable farming for the past five years, seeing a future in agriculture. He said that he rented 25 ropanis of land to cultivate vegetables.

'Recently, many young people who returned from abroad have started farming and animal husbandry. Seeing that young people who returned home without seeing prospects abroad are doing farming, I thought this is the basis for prosperity and left teaching to start farming. Now, I have been earning up to Rs. 1.5 million annually by selling vegetables, cutting all expenses. I have easily raised a family of seven,' he said, 'I have given employment to 11/12 people and added land with their earnings.' He said that the various kinds of support provided by the Agricultural Development Office Salyan while cultivating vegetables commercially gave him additional inspiration to expand his business.

Jhalak Dangi, 35, of Dangi Gaun, Bagchaur Municipality-9, said that he left the drug store with the inspiration from his father and registered Vision Agriculture and Nursery Firm in 2077 BS and started orange farming and fruit nursery. He informed that he has been saving up to Rs. 2 million by selling fruit and herbal plants worth Rs. 3.5 million annually by cutting all expenses.

'After leaving the drug store, I wandered around for a year looking for employment. No one helped me. I have easily raised a family of 6 by running a nursery and selling fruit plants. I have been providing employment to 6/7 people,' he said, 'I have been able to build a house and buy a farm in Nepalgunj. In the past, my father used to go to India to work as a laborer because his financial situation was very weak. He always had to wait for festivals to wear new clothes and eat meat and rice.' He said that after he started the fruit business and nursery, his father did not have to go to India for employment. 'Nowadays, we do not have to wait for festivals to eat meat and rice and wear new clothes. All kinds of needs are fulfilled through this,' he said.