8th of Bhadra, 2083, Thursday, Khaptad Chhanna Rural Municipality, Bajhang – An Agriculture Exhibition Fair has been successfully organized at the rural municipality by Rural Self-reliance Development Centre (RSDC) and rural municipality level Farmers’ Network in coordination with Khaptad Chhanna Rural Municipality. Conducted at the rural municipality’s office premises, the event contributed to the promotion of local agricultural produce, dissemination of modern agriculture techniques among farmers, and the commercialization and market linkage of agricultural products, said Mr. Narendra Thapa, President of the Farmers’ Network.
A competition was held amongst the farmers from various parts of Khaptad Chhanna Rural Municipality, showcasing their vegetables, fruits, indigenous and cash crops, bee and livestock/poultry products, along with other diverse agriculture products in the exhibition.
Various types of fruits including apples and bananas, indigenous and cash crops including lentils, foxtail millets, buckwheat, ginger, turmeric and Schezuan pepper, along with various other types of local vegetables were highlighted in the event. Likewise, regarding the bee and livestock/poultry products, local chicken, pheasant and honey products were exhibited. For the competitive evaluation of the agricultural produce displayed in the exhibition, an evaluation committee was formed to assess the entries and select the outstanding farmers for awards. Based on the evaluation, the farmers were awarded prizes in various categories.
The event was chaired by Mr. Narendra Thapa, President of the Farmers’ Network, with Khaptad Chhanna Rural Municipality Chairperson Mr. Uttam Bahadur Rokaya serving as the Chief Guest while the Vice-Chairperson, Mr. Bishnu Kumar Thapa and Chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Mr. Gyan Prasad Kandel, served as special guests for the occasion. A total of 221 individuals comprising of representatives from the Rural Municipality, officials and staff of the Farmers’ Network, media personnels, representatives from the Cooperative societies, staff of RSDC, and other stakeholders, showcased their active participation in the event. A total of 95 farmers participated in the agriculture produce competition wherein, Mr. Dil Bahadur Chauhan and Mr. Tek Bahadur Rokaya received the top awards. Likewise, there were 5 categories for the agriculture produce exhibited in the event viz. Vegetables, Fruits, Indigenous and Cash Crops, Bee and Livestock/Poultry and Miscellaneous. The top three farmers from these 5 categories were awarded with prizes.
The Chief Guest, Mr. Uttam Bahadur Rokaya, Rural Municipality Chairperson, remarked that the exhibition was instrumental in supporting local farmers, promoting local agricultural produce, while encouraging the adoption of modern agricultural techniques and strengthening market linkages. He further stated that the rural municipality had been consistently working with the vision of establishing Khaptad Chhanna as a model municipality in agriculture production while allocating its budget to the agriculture sector, and has also been continuously coordinating with various other organizations to advance this vision.
The grand Agriculture Exhibition received extensive media coverage from the local radio station Saipal FM along with various other local media outlets as well.
It is worth mentioning that the Rural Self-reliance Development Centre (RSDC), with support from the donor organization Malteser International, has been implementing the ‘Strengthening Resilience in WASH and Livelihoods of Vulnerable Communities (especially women) of Khaptad Chhanna Rural Municipality’ project and has been conducting various activities as a part of it.