DAMAULI: The area under commercial vegetable and rice cultivation is expanding in Tanahun, with thousands of farmers benefiting from the vegetable and rice zones implemented under the National Agriculture Modernization Program.
According to Purna Dhungana, senior agricultural development officer at the Program Implementation Unit of the National Agriculture Modernization Program in Gorkha, the area under vegetable cultivation has increased by 218 hectares since the vegetable zone was launched in Tanahun, while the area under rice cultivation has expanded by 85 hectares since the introduction of the rice zone.
The vegetable zone program was launched in Tanahun in the fiscal year 2075/76. Initially covering 505 hectares, the zone now spans 723 hectares, marking an increase of 218 hectares in the area under vegetable cultivation.
Similarly, the rice zone program was introduced in the fiscal year 2079/80 BS. The area covered by the program has grown from an initial 500 hectares to 585 hectares, expanding the area under rice cultivation by 85 hectares.
Dhungana said the programs were introduced to commercialize vegetable and rice farming and boost agricultural production. They have contributed to the expansion of cultivated areas and encouraged farmers to adopt more commercial farming practices.
The vegetable zone program is being implemented in Aanbukhaireni Rural Municipality, Byas Municipality, Bandipur Rural Municipality, and Bhanu Municipality of Tanahun. It aims to expand commercial vegetable farming by organizing and promoting production in these areas.
According to Dhungana, the program operates through two cooperatives, two farmer groups, and 11 agricultural entrepreneurs. A total of 1,989 people have benefited from the vegetable zone program so far.
The initiative seeks to promote commercial production by bringing farmers, cooperatives, farmer groups, and agricultural entrepreneurs together, while also helping organize and strengthen the agricultural workforce.
Meanwhile, the rice zone program covers Wards 8, 9, and 11 of Byas Municipality, Bhanu Municipality, and Ward 1 of Bandipur Rural Municipality. The program aims to expand rice production and promote the commercialization of rice farming.
The rice zone program is being implemented through two cooperatives, two farmer groups, and 10 agricultural entrepreneurs. So far, 1,838 people have benefited from the initiative.
With the expansion of the vegetable and rice zones, the total area under cultivation has increased significantly. According to the figures provided, a combined total of 3,827 people have benefited from the two programs.
Both initiatives continue to promote agricultural production through the participation of cooperatives, farmer groups, and agricultural entrepreneurs, with the broader objective of making farming more commercial and productive.