Wednesday, December 5, 2018

BE THE SOLUTION TO THE SOIL POLLUTION

2018-December-05

Two-week long 10th Kapilvastu Mahotsav has brought together Agriculture and Tourism related stalls, markets, people, and stakeholders to a common ground.

Some photos of the event.

















Tuesday, December 4, 2018

My Friend of the Day: Balaram Poudel

2nd May 2017


With Mr. Balaram Poudel, the President of Bhutan Peoples' Party.

My friend of the Day: Shanta Karki

7th July 2017



Dr. Shanta Karki


Then and Now






AN EXAMPLE OF A PROTECTED HORTICULTURE IN NEPAL.

2018-DECEMBER-03

Shanta and her team took me to Tandi, Chitwan to study the protected horticulture.  It was run by Brother Rajendrajung Rayamajhi, my senior at IAAS. After graduating from IAAS, he tried his luck in some organization and seed companies, where he gained skills, that turned out to be his assets later. For the last seven years, he has been involved in the protected farming.  When we reached his house, in Pithuwa, Chitwan, Brother RajendraJung, his wife and his mother were waiting for us with a complete lunch set for all. His father appeared briefly.

He had constructed large plastic and screen houses.  He had grown capsicum, pepper, tomatoes, potatoes, and cucumber. He also showed us his new experiment with waste decomposer bio-fertilizer.

I wish the technology is replicated to different parts of the country.


With Brother Rajendrajung Rayamajhi the pioneer of the protection horticulture in Nepal.
















SUCESSFUL FLORICULTURE ENTERPRENEUR

2018-DECEMBER- 03

AFTER VISITING BROTHER RAJENDRAJUNG RAYAMAJHI'S FARM WE WENT TO VISIT A SUCCESSFUL FLORICULTURE IN GUNJANAGAR. ABLOOM FLORA FARM CHITWAN.

The owner of the floriculture Mr. Prakash Panta took us around his farm. He had a large cultivation of roses, gladiolus, chrysanthemum. He also had a large farm of tomatoes in open.

We had a long conversation on the technicalities of the protection horticulture.

Some photos








































Saturday, December 1, 2018

ISSUE OF THE DAY- THE FIELD-FIRE



In Western Terai, its time for a transition of two major agricultural activities- from rice harvest to wheat sowing. There is an acute shortage of labor. Soon after the rice harvest, the leftover straw, ratoons, and rice-stubbles are burnt for lack of easy alternatives. The use of straw for cattle is in decline. The Field-fire is the easiest and the most common practice here. Even the government agencies and research centers do the same.
































Soon after burning, the fields are tilled for wheat cultivation. The farmers are in a competition and hurry to sow their next crop. If they are late to sow now, they fear to the delay in the next crop, months later.



The roads are mostly dusty and countryside are smoky. The fog common to both the places is expected soon. There is no concern of the people's health. The hospitals are crowded. There must be a link between pollution and sickness. The adverse effect is clear on the bees.










Several farmers have mustard and bees on the adjacent fields. The mustards are flowering and we assume the bees must have been happy. But they are not. The smoke from the rice straw burning has displaced the bees from their artificial ( I mean prepared by the beekeepers) hives to their natural safety. A hive of bee has come outside my room. I am glad to host them safe from the farmers. But the straw burners are out of my control.



A colony of bees left its hive and took refuge outside my room. Welcome bees.