Off season cauliflowers, mushroom cultivation and ecological fertilisers

Off season cauliflowers

Mrs. Dham Kumari Thapa shows her kitchen garden with out of season cauliflowers. She planted them around July/August, so she could harvest the produce before the cauliflower season. She applied the knowledge obtained in SAFBIN 1. Even though the cauliflower that she harvested had a good price, she did not sell most of it, distributing to her family and acquaintances instead. Her household has a tank to collect water, and they also have a system for waste water management. Obtaining water for agriculture will be a challenge in the winter, she said.

Mushroom cultivation and training 

SAFBIN provided a training on mushroom cultivation, which is a promising feature of the programme in the village of Laitikoili, Surkhet District, Nepal. Participants received capacity building and seeds, whilst farmers outside of the programme were able to attend the training for free, but purchased the seeds from a local distributor. Smallholders in Laitikoili can use the straw that remains after the rice is harvested to grow mushrooms. If the cultivation succeeds, there is opportunity to sell their produce in the nearby market of Surkhet. At present, they are growing the mushrooms individually, but are planning to do it collectively next year, which is an opportunity to expand their sources of income. 

Compost for reducing the use of chemical fertilisers 

Mr. Prem Lali Tharu from Naulapur Village learned composting techniques years ago, but stopped using it for agriculture. Instead, he used the organic waste only to produce biogas. After the start of SAFBIN II, he restarted using compost for agriculture, mainly to grow potatoes. He says that now the use of chemical fertilisers is decreasing, as well as the amount of waste. He continues to produce biogas, which is sufficient to cook meals for the 15 members of his family.