From Homemaker to Commercial Farmer: Bhawana Shahu’s Journey towards Transformation
Bhawana Shahu, a smallholder farmer from Basantapur in Godawari Municipality–4, Kailali district, has remarkably transformed her life through a dedicated shift to commercial agriculture. Her inspiring journey from a homemaker to a thriving commercial vegetable farmer reflects the profound impact of the USAID TAYAR Nepal Program, implemented in partnership with Youth Alliance for Environment (YAE).
Before joining the Climate Smart Village Farming (CSVF) initiative, Bhawana primarily relied on traditional farming practices, cultivating crops like rice, maize, wheat, and mustard. However, with training and support from the program, she embraced climate-smart agriculture, focusing on high-value vegetable farming. Today, Bhawana cultivates tomatoes on 1 kattha of land and grows cauliflower and cabbage on half a kattha each. In her plastic house, she has planted bitter gourd and cucumber, using drip irrigation technology for efficient water management. One of her key successes has been her cabbage harvest. Bhawana sold 55 kg of cabbage at Rs. 15 per kg in the Attariya market. With over 150 kg remaining, she explored direct marketing opportunities, selling to local hotels and restaurants at a higher price of Rs. 18 per kg.
Motivated by her progress, Bhawana now plans to expand vegetable cultivation to over 5 katthas, with five plastic tunnel houses dedicated to cucumber and bitter gourd. She has also started compost production using compost pits and regularly applies jholmal (a bio-liquid manure) as both fertilizer and pest control.
Bhawana’s journey is a powerful testament to how targeted agricultural interventions can uplift individuals and communities. Through the TAYAR Nepal CSVF Program, she has not only achieved financial stability but also emerged as a role model, especially for women, demonstrating that with the right support, they too can become pillars of economic and emotional strength for their families.
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