Myagdi. Myagdi: For the first time, akbare variety of chilli has been cultivated using mulching technology in Dhaulagiri rural municipality of Myagdi. Om Raj Magar, owner of Dhaulagiri Agriculture and Livestock Farm in Dhaulagiri-7, Shivang, has cultivated chilli in six ropanis of land.

“We have adopted plastic mulching technology in the land other than the plant growing in order to prevent the weeds from growing in the area where the chilli is planted,” he said, adding, “This technology has been effective in vegetable cultivation as plastic does not allow weeds to grow and the plants get enough nutrients to produce good yield.” ’

He said that commercial cultivation of chilli has started from this time after conducting two years of testing in Shivang, located at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level. He has invested Rs 250,000 for chilli cultivation.

Amrit Thapa, a technician at the agriculture section of the rural municipality, said that there was no commercial cultivation of Akbare variety of chillies in Dhawalagiri before. Chillies were cultivated only for domestic purposes. Magar, a farmer, said that Akbar cultivated chilli as there was a possibility of the market.

In the local market, akbari pepper is sold at Rs 250 per kg. Myagdi currently imports Akbari chillies from tarai and eastern hilly districts. Akbare chilli can be cultivated in the geography of the high hills and terai, where the temperature is 22 to 25 degrees Celsius in the afternoon and 15 to 20 degrees Celsius in the night.

Thirty-year-old Magar has become self-employed by cultivating kiwi, chicken and goat in addition to pepper as an alternative to foreign employment and traditional farming. Magar is a karate player. There are 70 kiwi plants in his garden. Last year, they sold 3,000 kilograms of kiwi.