Bhoj Bahadur Tamang, 33, is known as a young agricultural entrepreneur in Machhapuchhre-4, Lahanchowk, Kaski. He graduated with a first division in management but couldn’t continue his education due to family issues. Later, he underwent hotel training and started working as a waiter, but he felt the urge to do something on his own. With help from friends and family, he ran a restaurant at Pokhara Engineering Campus.

However, he didn’t find happiness there either. He then went to Kuwait to work as a waiter. After 10 months, he returned to Nepal, realizing that if he could work so hard abroad, he could do better in his own country. At that time, his son-in-law was cultivating vegetables in tunnels in the village, which inspired him to try commercial farming. He initially rented land in Ghalegaun with his sister and started cultivating vegetables in eight tunnels.

“The villagers were angry, saying that if I farmed like this, none of the young people here would go abroad to earn a living,” said Bhoj Bahadur. “The opposition from locals only fueled my determination. So, I added 15 more tunnels.” However, the locals released buffaloes into the tunnels, destroying his crops. Fearing further sabotage, he decided to relocate his farming operations.

He then built 23 tunnels in a nearby settlement. Around this time, he won a lottery for the Israeli government’s “Learn and Earn” program, which proved to be a turning point in his life. The 11-month training taught him about plants, agricultural systems, technology, and entrepreneurship. Upon his return to Nepal, he began farming around his own house in Lahanchowk.

While many people from hilly areas moved to the valley, he rented land from others and engaged in integrated farming on about 104 ropanis (5.4 hectares) of land, of which only seven ropanis are his own.

Tamang produces grass for goat farming on 60 percent of his rural organic agriculture and livestock farm, with the remaining 40 percent dedicated to vegetables, including off-season varieties that fetch good prices. After returning from Israel, he also completed the Agricultural Technician (JTA) course through an 18-month program at CTEVT. Out of 100 students, he was the only one to complete the course.

Despite challenges like water, electricity, and transportation, he has successfully established his agricultural business. He credits the Lahanchok Small Farmers Agricultural Cooperative, under the Small Farmers Development Microfinance Institution, for helping him secure a Rs 3.2m loan. This loan, combined with his own capital, allowed him to expand his business. From June to November, he sells vegetables by hiring workers, typically selling 2,000 to 3,000 kg of vegetables daily. This year, he also sold 50 goats and still has 58 remaining. He employs four people regularly and up to 15-20 during peak seasons. He says his annual profit is Rs 1.8m. OGT students also come to his farm for training.

In recognition of his achievements, the province awarded him the title of Best Farmer in 2023. His wife, Shanti Bhattarai, has been by his side in all his successes. They fell in love while he was taking agricultural training in Israel and later had an inter-caste marriage.

Similarly, 62-year-old Pipla Bhandari faced difficulties in traditional rice farming, particularly with straw rotting. Five years ago, she decided to switch to fish farming. Having started 15 years ago, she has successfully turned it into a commercial venture in Madi Municipality-4, Chitwan. Initially, her sons dug the ponds, but they abandoned the project. Undeterred, Pipla and her 70-year-old husband, Kulprasad Bhandari, took over the project.

Just five days after her mother’s death, they resumed their work and formed a group to secure a loan from the cooperative to dig fish ponds. With a rural enterprise loan of Rs 5m, she expanded her fish farming business. From 31 kathas of land, she now operates on 11 bighas, with 12 ponds. The ponds can accommodate up to 350 large fish and 500 smaller ones in each katha.

Because the ponds have a natural water supply, she faces no water shortage, making her business easier to manage. She currently provides employment to three people on her fish farm, where she raises species such as Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala, mrigal carp, Bigat, and Grass.

In the same way, 32-year-old Birendra Thapa Magar from Kaski Madi Rural Municipality-5 Madibensi is a passionate farmer. After completing class 12, he began bee farming and expanded his business to include a variety of agricultural activities. He operates a multi-purpose agricultural farm in Bangurpalan, about 12 km from Pokhara.

While many of his friends went abroad, Magar chose to build his future in Nepal. Initially investing Rs 60,000 to raise two pigs, the income was enough to support his family of five. He expanded his business by raising more pigs and investing further in the same land.

He became a member of the Sana Kisan Agricultural Cooperative, following in his father’s footsteps. By mortgaging his land, he took a rural enterprise loan of Rs 1.5m to expand his business. “I spent Rs 1.3m on infrastructure, and despite the lockdown, I continued working because I couldn’t give up,” he says. He now raises 51 pigs and sells the meat in the Pokhara market at Rs 580-600 per kg.

From the income, he built five vegetable tunnels and paid off Rs 1.2m of his loan, leaving only Rs 300,000 to pay off. “The subsidized loan made it easier. Without it, we would have had to pay 16 percent interest from others,” he explains. Magar hopes to further expand his business with additional loans in the future.

As the only son in his family, he values the ability to stay in Nepal and support his parents while earning income from his agricultural enterprise. “My friends now admire my hard work and want to follow my example,” he adds. He encourages other young people to stay in Nepal, as they can earn more than abroad.

Chandra Bahadur Shahi, after many years of working in the Gulf countries, decided to invest in agriculture upon returning to Nepal. He used the money he earned abroad to buy real estate, but it wasn’t enough to start his business. However, with his wife Anita being a cooperative member, he secured a loan from the cooperative and also received a concessional loan through the Asian Development Bank’s Rural Agricultural Enterprise Project.

Chandra Bahadur now owns three cows and seven buffaloes, selling 50 liters of milk daily. He earns over Rs 170,000 a month from milk sales, employing one person. Anita says, “From agriculture, we have food for our family, and we don’t have to look elsewhere for our children’s education. We are content.” Chandra Bahadur adds, “It’s better to be my own boss here than work for someone abroad.”

The rural enterprise financial project aims to transform subsistence farming into commercial agriculture, reduce poverty, empower women, and teach farmers to develop business plans. More than 2,000 people across the country have benefited from enterprise loans at subsidized interest rates.

Launched in 2019, the project, supported by ADB, aims to disburse Rs 6.126bn over five years. By 2024, Rs 4.32bn had been distributed, although the goal was delayed due to the pandemic. The deadline for completing the project has been extended to 2026.

Navraj Simkhada, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Sana Kisan Bikas Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd., notes that 2,008 personal and institutional loans have been disbursed across 550 municipalities. A total of Rs 3.86bn in personal enterprise loans has been provided to 1,970 individuals, and Rs 46.6m in institutional loans to 38 entities.