Off-season vegetable farming becomes effective means to reduce rural poverty

Off-season vegetable farming campaign has turned out to be an effective means to alleviate rural poverty in Sunsari district.

The landless families could see changes in the rural areas in Sunsari district when the trend of giving land on lease for producing off-season vegetables using the skills and technologies provided by various government and non-government organizations began in the district, state-owned news agency RSS reports.

The World Vision International Nepal, Sunsari Area Development Programme in Pakali, Bhasi, Ekamba, Madheli among other VDCs has encouraged the farmers' campaign to produce off-season vegetables to improve their livelihood.

Some 114 families of landless squatters in the villages have got the opportunities to bring changes in their lifestyle.

The NGO alone has provided around Rs. 3 million to support the campaign this year alone, Coordinator of the NGO, Bimal Ghimire told RSS.
Talodevi Chaudhary of Ekamba, her neighbor Tiliyadevi Sada and other villagers said they could manage their daily expenses and also to make little savings from the vegetable farming.

There are around a dozen groups in different six VDCs in the district involved in the campaign and they are producing different off-season vegetable. nepalnews.com