Ranatharu community in Kanchanpur earns Rs 500,000 annually from vegetable farming

Mahendranagar: The Ranatharu community of Naya Katan in Bhimdatta Municipality-14, Kanchanpur, has achieved remarkable success through commercial vegetable farming, generating an annual income of around Rs 500,000 from 15 kathas of land.

Engaged in vegetable farming for over a decade and a half, the community has expanded its cultivation each year after realizing substantial earnings. Local farmer Nathuram Rana, who began with just 75 plants fifteen years ago, has now become a source of inspiration for the entire village.

Rana shared that after witnessing good yields from his initial bhatta crop, he gradually expanded his farming area. “I started with 75 bhatta plants in my own field in 2065 BS. The next year, I planted vegetables on half a katha of land, and after seeing the potential, I kept expanding,” he said. Rana now earns around Rs 500,000 annually by cultivating eggplant, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, and chillies on 15 kathas of land.

Encouraged by his success, 40 out of 46 families in Naya Katan have also adopted commercial vegetable farming, becoming self-sufficient in the process. Rana noted that vegetable farming provides three times more profit than other crops. “Initially, we had to go door to door to sell vegetables, but now we sell them at the vegetable market in Mahendranagar without any problem,” he said.

In addition to farming, the Ranatharu community has diversified its income sources by operating homestays in the village. According to Parshuram Rana, chairman of the Ranatharu Homestay, the locals have become self-sufficient by combining vegetable farming with hospitality. “We offer guests food and dishes prepared from our own produce. They really enjoy our local cuisine and culture,” he said.

With the growing success of both vegetable farming and homestay operations, the Ranatharu community has established Naya Katan as a model self-sufficient and exemplary settlement in Kanchanpur.