Commercial farming makes Bhusme village self-reliant

By Nabin Raj Kuinkel, Lamjung, July 26: Sixty-year-old Nalmaya Tamang is busy these days selling cauliflower, cabbage and cucumbers. After harvesting potatoes, Tamang of Bhusme village in Marsyangdi Rural Municipality-8 planted cauliflower and cabbage. 

She is not alone; almost every farmer in the village is currently occupied with selling off-season vegetables.

According to local leader Hom Raj Tamang, Bhusme comprises three settlements, Tongbokhor, Mangbokhor and Kholmagang, with a total of 55 households. All of them are engaged in vegetable farming.

“Once known mainly for potato cultivation, the village now grows garlic, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables,” said Tamang.

“There is not a single household that earns less than Rs. 100,000 a year from farming, while the more successful farmers earn between Rs. 800,000 and Rs. 1 million.”

Vegetables produced in the village are sold in Khudi, Bhulbhule, Simpani and the district headquarters, Besisahar.

Tamang said that the opportunities created by commercial vegetable farming have encouraged some people to return from urban areas and take up agriculture. Collectively, the villagers earn more than Rs. 10 million annually from vegetable production.

Another local farmer, Narayan Tamang, said the village benefits from producing vegetables during a season when they are scarce elsewhere.

“When other areas cannot produce cauliflower and cabbage, our village supplies them,” he said. 

“Off-season vegetable farming brings good returns. At this time of year, villagers also sell potatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage and fiddlehead ferns collected from nearby forests.” Although locals began growing vegetables in 2014, they only adopted commercial farming in 2019.

The Agriculture Development Office and the rural municipality have been supporting vegetable farming through various programmes. 

Initially, the Integrated Development Service Centre provided awareness campaigns and training on vegetable cultivation. Later, the Agriculture Development Office helped construct 22 plastic tunnels. Local farmer Khus Maya Tamang said off-season vegetables are always in high demand.

“We never have to worry about selling our produce during this season,” she said. 

“As soon as the vegetables reach the market, buyers compete to purchase them. Vegetable farming has transformed the lives of villagers who once struggled to make ends meet. They are now earning thousands of rupees.”

Chairperson of Marsyangdi Rural Municipality Arjun Gurung said the local government has prioritised the modernisation and commercialisation of agriculture to improve people’s livelihoods.

“We have been promoting vegetable production. Agriculture and tourism are our top priorities,” he said.

The Tamang community forms the majority of Bhusme’s population. Alongside agriculture, locals have also developed homestay tourism. The village’s homestays are attracting domestic tourists.

According to Madan Regmi, an agricultural economist at the Agriculture Development Office, Bhusme has become an attractive destination for agro-tourism and rural tourism because of its lush farmlands, traditional rural lifestyle and natural beauty.

He said that with greater government support for irrigation, road access, storage facilities and marketing, Bhusme could be developed into one of the district's leading agricultural production hubs.