Agriculture is the main source of food, income and employment in Nepal. Farmers are the backbone of our society. Farmers and food producers are an incredible resource because they are the ones who are growing the food.
Glocal Khabar frame features the story behind the success of Mr. Anjesh Shrestha; continue reading to find out more about his journey and his ideas on the agriculture sector.
Mr.Anjesh Shrestha is an enterprising farmer who dreams of a future where the youth wants to engage in agro-enterprise. He wants to commercialize agricultural products in a way that would benefit consumers as well as farmers. So, he came up with the idea of Agriculture Farms to promote vegetables with minimum use of pesticides at an affordable cost.
How did you come up with the concept for “Agriculture Farm” ?
I have completed my educational background in the field of agriculture and development. Moreover, I had worked in various sectors and spent 20 years working in NGOs. I got opportunities to learn more about crop production and also teach people about the concept of agriculture, its benefits and use of chemical fertilizers.
Well, I know the concept, ideas, and its importance. Later I realized it is an opportunity to initiate my own business. I decided to start my own Agriculture Farm.
However, my journey as an “Enterprising Farmer” began in 2017.
How did you initiate your idea?
I started sharing the agriculture information, its importance, ideas and the concept about farming.
As we all know, agriculture has provided employment opportunities and helps to run the livelihood of Nepalese people. It is the main source of food for all the living beings living on the earth. It provides the raw material for the industries and helps to increase trade in the nation.
I started delivering cow milk, selling our own product, and as well as pesticide-free vegetables to our consumers.
How do you make your products organic?
Technically they are not organic. We don’t use artificial nutrients, vitamins and proteins to make the product weightier. It is very challenging to be completely organic in a country like Nepal where almost every land and water is polluted but we try to minimize the use of chemicals like pesticides. I mostly use chemical fertilizers and the proper use of chemical fertilizers represents one of the most cost-effective ways to boost plant production.
What kinds of vegetables are you producing?
For now, we are focused on seasonal vegetables because the climate is best suited for those products and no extra chemicals are as needed as they get it naturally. I produce seasonal vegetables like Cucumber, Beans, Bitter gourds, Cauliflower and Cabbage.
What kind of challenges did you face on your way?
The agriculture sector faces several challenges in Nepal, which includes low productivity, high instability, shocks due to climate change, lack of adequate infrastructure and investment.
When an investment is low, we cannot utilize land for agriculture. The production of agriculture products is increasing but the problems of farmers are not decreasing.
There are challenges in agriculture like everywhere else, and the challenges will never stop, but you can overcome these challenges and become a good commercial farmer.
What message would you like to deliver to the youth?
If you are willing to start something new in Nepal itself, then carry out research before starting anything, and have a vision, and get dedicated to the work.
If you choose the agriculture sector as your career then start your own business. This could be the best platform for those who are already engaged in agriculture, and those who are interested to initiate their participation in entrepreneurship, to learn, exchange and convey new skills while communicating with each other. I want to see agriculture students engaged in agro enterprise and reach directly to consumers. Importantly, this could also motivate youths and women to engage in the agricultural sector.
