When will farmers get government subsidies?

Residents of Jhanjhe village in Gurans Rural Municipality-8, Dailekh, have been engaged in commercial vegetable farming, which sustains their annual income and daily livelihood. However, the farmers complain that they have yet to receive any services or facilities from the government. Despite exporting vegetables worth Rs 6m annually, including potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, chilies, and beans, they have not received improved seeds, training, or tools from NGOs either.

“Potato seeds have remained the same for 15 years,” said Tarakeshar Wali, a local farmer. “If the government had supported us, we could have increased production even more.”

Farmers have formed groups within the village and have requested grants, advanced seeds, and other resources from various agencies. However, they report receiving no subsidies or assistance so far. “We’ve heard the government provides subsidies to farmers, but we've received nothing,” said local farmer Man Kumari Khadka. “Neither advanced seeds nor medicine, and no one has trained us.”

The lack of government support for vegetable cultivation has frustrated the farmers. They believe that subsidies, advanced seeds, fertilizers, medicines, training, and agricultural tools could significantly boost their productivity. Farmers also criticize the local government and ward officials for failing to provide agricultural technology or tools and urge the construction of storage facilities to preserve potato seeds.

Transportation challenges

Farmers face significant challenges in transporting their produce to market due to the lack of road access. They are forced to carry their vegetables, which leads to losses as produce spoils before reaching buyers. Local farmer Krishna Khatri shared, “This year, I sold 20 quintals of potatoes and produced 15 quintals of bananas and cauliflower. However, we struggle to sell vegetables since we have to carry them to the market.”

Khatri added that vegetables rot because of the lack of roads, and multiple requests for road improvements have gone unanswered. “We’ve submitted four requests to the ward office, but no attention has been paid,” he said. Similarly, local farmer Pavitra Khadka expressed frustration, asking, “Where is the government for the farmers? We have grown vegetables with our own efforts, but we haven’t received any subsidies or assistance. No one has heard our concerns.”

Exporting Rs 6m worth of vegetables

Despite the lack of government support, the farmers continue to export vegetables worth Rs 6m annually. Potatoes alone account for Rs 2m of this, while cauliflower brings in Rs 1.5m. Tomatoes, chilies, and cucumbers generate Rs 500,000.

“This year, we exported 400 quintals of potatoes, and cabbage and cauliflower were sold in similar amounts,” said local farmer Gagan Bahadur Khatri. “If we had road access, our production could increase further. The village earns Rs 6m annually from vegetable sales, and with government support—such as roads, advanced seeds, fertilizers, marketing, training, and agricultural tools—we could increase both production and income.”

The farmers export their vegetables to markets in Surkhet and Dailekh, and with better infrastructure and support, they believe they could expand their farming efforts even further.