Twenty-one years ago, a young Padam Bahadur Thami headed to Panchkhal, a small town three hours drive away from his village in Dhuskun– 8, Sallekepa, Sindhupalchowk, in search of work.
Thami went to Panchkhal look for labour work to make his ends meet, but there he found a ‘job’ that would not only help him run his family, but also become an inspiration for his village folk.
It all began when Thami, who was carrying furniture on his back or working as construction labourer, noticed that farmers in Panchkhal were toiling under ‘shed houses’ put up in their fields.
Inside the ‘houses’ grew tomato, cauliflower, cabbage and chilies, in quantities the subsistence farmer had never imagined before. It was only a matter of time before he reliased that even he could have a bumper vegetable harvest in his own village.
“And so, in 1995 I decided to return home for good. I only had an idea. I wanted to start growing vegetables,” he remembers.
“During the first year, I grew garlic and tomato on my 3 ropani (16,000 sq ft) land. I did not know the details of how the farmers in Panchkhal carried out their work,” he shares.
That year, he earned Rs. 11,000, a huge sum given the time and circumstances. Five years later he had added four more ropanis of land to his possession. By then, h could also pay his kids’ school fees, and meet other household needs, easily.
Read also: In Nepal’s Doramba, an ex-soldier’s ‘crazy’ idea is bearing fruit
In 2009, Thami got an opportunity get formal training in agriculture. It was then that he understood that the ‘shed house’ technique was called ‘plastic tunnel farming’.
The farmer, who had developed his skills just through observation, attended training on tomato cultivation in Budepa, Karthali organised by Integrated Self-help Association for Rural Development (ISARD), and organisation that promotes plastic tunnel farming.
After completing the training, Thami got even better at his trade, and his profits continue to soar.
Now 56, Thami lives with his two daughters and a married son. He has established himself as a leader when it comes to vegetable farming in his village. He takes the lead when adopting new agriculture technology and scientific practices.
This year he earned more than Rs 110,000 just by selling his tomatoes. He earned more than rs 35,000 for his cucumber, cauliflower, cabbage, and leafy greens.
Today, Thami’s farm extends over nine ropanis, where he also grows paddy, millet, and maize. He has an additional six ropanis of leased land to grow vegetables.
Recently, he became one of the first in the vicinity to adopt drip irrigation system in the tunnel.
“The soil here is is very good for tomato cultivation. And while there is plenty of water for irrigation, the tomato plants die when over-watered,” he says.
“Hence I signed up for the drip irrigation scheme. I fill the 100 litre drum once a week, and allow the tomato plants to be irrigated twice a day.”
