Kathmandu June 12:

A decision of three youths in Pokhara to seek a future in vegetable farming is turning out to be a right one. The common dream of three youths: two former migrants of Pokhara metropolis-15 of doing something at home has brought them together to start a vegetable farming by taking land on lease. The three invested Rs three million to start the farming which also includes the off-season produces in 14 ropani of land. Tomatoes, cucumber, beans, bitter gourd, egg plant, long beans and coriander leaves inside 14 tunnels. As Dipendra Bastola, one of them, they said, they have earned over Rs 50,000 from the sale of cucumber, bitter gourd, beans and coriander leaves in the first lot harvesting and tomato farming has started giving produces. Bastola, the former UAE migrant worker, had spent 10 years in the UAE. Dhruba Koirala has spent 10 years at abroad (Malaysia and the UAE). The desire of sweating off in homeland was a driving force behind joining hands with others two for the vegetable farming, he said. As per his experiences, they till now face no market issue to supply the produces as consumers reach the farms looking for produces. They have set a target of earning Rs 150 thousands monthly from the business. The three reach the farm early in the morning and leave it until the dusk falls. The third business partner Dilliram Adhikari said lack of full knowledge about farming made their way challenging in the beginning. ” Our failure to identify disease on the farming prevented us from securing profits from the first lot produces as per the expectations.” ”We could not seek timely treatment for the disease due to lockdown, but are determined to make it the sustainable means of livelihood,” he shared, hoping for a due support from the state.