Ilam. Rajesh Rai, a farmer of Ratnabasti of Mangsebung rural municipality-2, has been earning a handsome income by selling coffee saplings. He earned Rs 1.35 million from the sale of coffee plants this year alone.

Rai, who has been producing coffee plants by establishing ‘Wangdel Nursery Centre’ five years ago, is known as a good plant grower in Mangsebung. They have been producing saplings on five ropanis of land along the Gajurmukhi-Ivang-Chature road near Phewakhola. This year, he has sold 45,000 coffee plants.

He said that after the production of coffee plants, he used to come to the nursery to collect the saplings. According to him, coffee plant production has been given priority as more production and income can be earned with less time, labor and money.

Along with Ilam, coffee plants are transported to Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur districts in the east and Sikkim of neighbouring India. According to him, various municipalities, ward offices, farms and farmers buy and take the saplings.

“It doesn’t take much effort and time to produce saplings,” he said, adding, “The saplings produced here go to Ilam and beyond.” He said the coffee plants were being sold at Rs 30 per piece from the nursery.

Rai has been producing not only coffee but also other forest-producing plants in the nursery. His nursery has been producing lampate, simal, panisaj, khamari, utis, forest produce and fruit plants including mango, litchi and jackfruit. Forest produce and fruit saplings are being sold from the nursery at the rate of Rs 40 per piece, he said.

“I have given first priority to coffee plants. There are other forest produce and fruit plants as well,” he said, adding, “It has become easier for the customers to get as many saplings as they want in one place.” ’

Rajesh himself is engaged in the maintenance of the plants, uprooting and selling them. He said that emphasis has been laid on plant production as more income can be earned in a short time.

His nursery farm has also received good support from the Koshi state government. Two years ago, he received a grant of Rs 200,000 for the promotion of nurseries through the Agriculture Knowledge Center, Ilam.

He said that a systematic tunnel has been constructed in partnership. According to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Ilam, coffee is cultivated commercially in 135 hectares of land in Ilam.