Elam. The farmers of Elam are making good income from the multi-purpose vegetable skus which is produced in the central hilly and high areas of Nepal. Farmers here are attracted to skus cultivation as they get good income with less effort.
Farmers are earning a good income from skus which is produced from Baisakh to October. It has been found that the farmers here are cultivating commercial squash as a cash crop. Dinesh Mahat, a farmer of Suryodaya Municipality-8, has been cultivating commercial squash in an area of 40 plants. Mahat, who has been cultivating commercial squash for four years, has become the main source of income. He registered 'B&M Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Farm' in 2079 and started commercial squash farming.
By selling skus, he has been earning up to Rs. 12 lakhs annually. "I have been cultivating commercial skus for four years, now I have expanded skus cultivation to an area of 40 plants," he said, "Last year I sold skus worth Rs. 12 lakhs, this year the sales are booming."
Scus is considered as a vegetable that grows a lot even on steep and small land, is cheap, tasty and is a vegetable that is cooked in the kitchen in the central hilly and mountainous areas. Scus root and roots are also considered delicious and healthy for vegetables.
Prem Bahadur Khadka of Suryodaya Municipality-9 Aridang has been cultivating commercial squash in an area of 25 plants. Khadka, who earned Rs 1.3 lakh from the sale of skus last year, said that this year the income will increase. "I have been growing commercial skus for 25 years. Last year, I earned Rs. 13," he said, "This year, the income is expected to increase as we have expanded the farm." He said that this year he has expanded skus cultivation to three more planting areas.
Chandra Gurung Gurung, a farmer of Suryodaya Municipality-8 Kanjeni, has also started skus farming after getting a good income from commercial skus farming. Gurung, who planted skus in an area of four plants three years ago, said that he plans to expand farming after the income is good. "I planted scus three years ago in an area of 4 plantations for testing, and it is getting good income," he said, "now I am planning to cultivate scus commercially."
Most of the farmers here are making a good income by cultivating scus as a cash crop. Every farmer here has been cultivating skus in an area of at least 3 ropani to 40 ropani. The farmers of Fikkal, Pashupatinagar, Panchkanya, Kanyam, Samalbung etc. have been cultivating commercial squash. Traders reach their homes to buy skus here with easy transportation facilities. Squash farming has helped to raise the economic condition of the farmers here who have also embraced tea farming.
Good production of scus is found in Ilam, Taplejung, Panchthar, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Udaipur, Sindhuli, Ramechhap and other districts of the country due to suitable air and water.
The skus traders produced in the districts of eastern Nepal have been taking them to the Indian market through Jhapa, Morung and Sunsari. It is found that the traders buy skus Pratiman ie 40 kg for Rs. 250 to Rs. 1600000. Kisan Mahat said that at the beginning of the production, the skus was being sold up to Rs.
"When the price is good, the income is also good, when the price is not, the income is also low," said Mahat, "If the market is stable, you can get good benefits from the skus." According to farmer Mahat, skus farming does not need to be cared for like other crops, so it does not cost much.
National News Committee is the official news organization of Nepal.
