Bhojpur. Thangajit Rai, a resident of Sanodumma in Pauwadung Rural Municipality-5 of Bhojpur district, earns Rs 5.5 million annually from commercial chilli farming. He has cultivated around 32,000 chilli plants in 42 ropanis of land with the aim of becoming an entrepreneur through agriculture in his village.

Rai said that he has been involved in commercial chilli farming with the intention of becoming exemplary by farming in his own place. He has been involved in both seasonal and off-season chilli farming for the past eight years.

“I earn Rs 55 to Rs 6 million annually from chilli farming,” Rai said, adding, “I have leased 42 ropanis of land and planted around 32,000 saplings.” Last year too, it earned more than Rs 50 lakh. ’

He said he has leased 65 ropanis of land for chilli farming by paying Rs 200,000 annually. Stating that he has invested around Rs 12 lakhs for farming this year, he said he has been involved in farming commercially in his own garden at a time when youths are attracted to foreign countries.

Rai, who has been involved in farming by managing land in three different places, has now provided employment to four people. According to him, it has become easier to sell chili produced from home as road access is good.

The chili produced in Pauwadungma is supplied to Dharan, Itahari, Biratnagar, Jhapa and Kathmandu for sale, said Jyotsna Rai, vice-chairperson of Pauwadungma. According to him, chilli farming has become the main source of income for the municipality.

Rural municipality chairperson Kiran Rai said they are providing assistance to farmers based on commercial plans. “Akbare chilli has become the major source of income for our rural municipality,” he said, adding, “We have been focusing on farming according to the geography by increasing investment in the agriculture sector.” ’

The rural municipality has also been assisting in the marketing of local products by purchasing agricultural ambulances. Chief Administrative Officer Nabin Bhattarai said the rural municipality distributed essential agricultural materials including mulching plastic to 750 farmers in the last fiscal year.

According to him, farming has expanded this year due to the cooperative program run by the rural municipality. According to him, around 900 farmers have been cultivating chillies commercially in around 500 hectares of land in Pauwadungma.