Baitadi farmers turn to pickle production
Locals of Shreekot VDC of Baitadi
have found a new source of income generation in pickles. As many as 18 farmers,
most of them women, have been making pickles by using local farm products and
supplying them in the nearby market.
Micro Enterprises Development Program (MEDEP) -- a joint poverty
alleviation initiative of the government and the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) though the financial support of AusAID - has been supporting
local farmers by providing them necessary trainings and inputs for pickle
production.
"The MEDEP encouraged us to be organized and provided us
skills and entrepreneurship trainings. It also extended technical support to
support which boosted our confidence to start pickle production by using local
farm products," Dev Bahadur Chand, member of Jagadamba Pickle Producers
Group, said. Along with Jagadamba, local farmers have formed two other groups
-- Shrijanshil Pickle Producer and Bhumiraj Pickle Micro Enterprises Groups -
in Shreekot VDC.
They jointly operate a production unit based in Shreekot VDC and
exchange their skills and experience. Products of these groups are supplied to
Mahendranagar, Dhangadhi and other markets in the far western region. "Our
products are easily finding market. We are also getting lucrative price,"
Chand said.
Encouraged by the growing demands for their products, the
farmers have initiated the process to acquire food production license from the
Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) to institutionalize
pickle production in the village.
Rekha Chand, treasurer of the Jagadamba Pickle Producers Group,
said the group produces around 20 quintals of pickles annually.
Local farmers use mango, ginger, garlic and lime as raw
materials for pickles. Their products fetch at least Rs 160 per kg.
"Though
we are producing at low scale at preset, we are encouraged by the prices
offered by the buyers. We are interested to expand our production capacity
if the government supports with additional capital as well as modern machineries
for packing and processing of pickles," added Chand.