Former teacher turns to vegetable farming, earns Rs 500,000 annually

Kanchanpur: Once an English teacher at a village school, Prakash Paitola of Bhimdatta Municipality-8 has now built a successful career as a vegetable farmer, earning around Rs 500,000 annually.

Paitola left his teaching profession five years ago and ventured into farming, initially renting just six kathas of land to cultivate tomatoes. Over time, he expanded his enterprise to two bighas and 15 kathas, producing tomatoes, bitter gourds, cucumbers, and other vegetables.

“Before Covid-19, I was teaching at a local school. After the lockdown, I began selling vegetables. At first, I bought vegetables from farmers and sold them in the market, but later I decided to grow them myself,” he explained.

Though he once prepared documents for foreign employment, Paitola abandoned the idea, opting instead to build a livelihood at home. “It is better to work for myself than for others abroad. Here, I can stay with my family, take care of them, and still earn,” he said.

He now employs three workers at Rs 800 per day and continues to reinvest his profits into expanding farming operations. Renting land at Rs 50,000 per bigha annually, Paitola initially invested Rs 150,000 in tomato farming. Despite seasonal losses during the monsoon, he remains confident in the market potential. “If you work hard, vegetables sell quickly. There is good income in farming right here at home,” he noted.

Educated up to the bachelor’s level in English, Paitola also tutors students in his free time. His story highlights how educated youth can find sustainable livelihoods in agriculture. Locals believe that with proper support from government agencies, such efforts could play a vital role in the commercialization of Nepal’s agricultural sector.