Farmers in Dang District have increasingly adopted organic and bio-pesticide methods in response to concerns over the health and environmental impacts of chemical pesticides. This shift is largely driven by the "Vegetable Value Chain through Developing Competitive Capacity of Rural Women" project, implemented by the Rural Women Upliftment Centre with support from Heifer International Nepal.
The project aims to promote modern, environmentally sustainable farming practices by offering training, technical assistance, and market management support through farmers’ business schools. These efforts have enabled local farmers to develop commercial vegetable farming enterprises and improve their income.
Among the beneficiaries is Uma Devi Chaudhary from Satbariya, Lamahi Municipality-8, who transitioned from traditional farming to commercial vegetable cultivation. She now grows bitter gourd, tomatoes, beans, bottle gourd, pumpkin, and cucumber on 20 katthas of land and reports annual sales between Rs. 1.5 million and Rs. 2 million. Chaudhary emphasizes that adhering to a crop calendar and producing vegetables tailored to market demand has enhanced her profitability and motivation.
In Lamahi Municipality-2, Phul Maya Chaudhary has significantly curtailed chemical pesticide use by incorporating Jholmal—a liquid organic manure and pesticide prepared from local plants, cattle urine and dung—along with vermicompost and improved compost manure. She noted that using bio-pesticides has benefits for both personal health and consumer safety. To date, she has earned approximately Rs. 100,000 from tomatoes grown inside a plastic tunnel house and is currently cultivating beans on her land.
Similarly, Punam Gharti Magar of Banghursi, Lamahi Municipality-7, has adopted these sustainable techniques and is now relying on vegetable farming as her primary income source. She cultivates tomatoes, bitter gourd, and beans on four katthas, supplying around 300 kilograms of tomatoes weekly to local markets. Magar leads the Deepan Social Entrepreneur Women's Cooperative, which facilitates the collective marketing of produce for member farmers.
According to Himal Khadka, project coordinator at the Rural Women Upliftment Centre, Jholmal not only nourishes plants but also assists in controlling pests and diseases, while bio-pesticides—naturally derived from plants or microorganisms—reduce reliance on harmful chemical substances. The Integrated Agriculture and Livestock Value Chain (IALVC) project has been instrumental in supporting these initiatives by providing ongoing technical, technological, and institutional assistance.
This support is coordinated through eight cooperatives across Dang, including two in Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City, four in Lamahi Municipality, one in Gadhawa Rural Municipality, and one in Triveni Rural Municipality, helping to expand sustainable commercial vegetable farming in the region.