Cutting Out the Chemicals
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Organic Potato Farming in Nepal
January 2008
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| Potato farming in Gatlang is once again profitable |
The potatoes of Gatlang – a village in Nepal’s Rasuwa district – are renowned in Nepal for their flavour. The farmers have found a good market for their crops, both locally and in Kathmandu. But it wasn’t always that way.
Several years ago, district officials began introducing chemical farming in Gatlang, hoping modern methods would lead to higher yields and profits for farmers. The agriculture office provided free potatoes, fertilizers, and pesticides, encouraging farmers to use the new methods.
Polwasya Tamang, from Gatlang, took advantage of the offer, but was disappointed by the results. He says, There were higher yields at the beginning, but even with increased fertilizer use, production decreased year after year.”
Insult to Injury
Aside from annual drops in yields, farmers found that potatoes produced with chemicals were of lesser quality. Their reputation suffered. The chemicals took their toll on the soil, and the costs for materials sent production costs soaring. Potato farming quickly became unprofitable.
The Gatlang farmers, looking for alternatives, found help in USC Nepal. USC sent Sanjaya Lama – a Gatlang farm leader – to Bangladesh to learn about eco-friendly agriculture and build on his existing knowledge about compost making and natural pesticides.
He says, “The farmers I visited are all committed to ecological agriculture, and it encouraged me not only to practice farming in the same way, but also to promote this approach with others.”
Leading the Way
USC Nepal has since offered training to the other Gatlang farmers. With USC’s guidance and Lama’s leadership, the village now uses only eco-friendly farming methods.
It didn’t take long for potato quality to improve. The chemical-free potatoes taste better, stand up to storage longer, and are healthier. Tamang says, “With eco-agriculture, production has increased every year.” There was an initial drop, but it was offset by decreased production costs and improved soil quality.
Today, the farmers are proud to call Gatlang a chemical-free village, and they’re determined to keep it that way.
One Response to “Cutting Out the Chemicals”
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USC Canada
was founded by
Dr Lotta Hitschmanova in 1945. Our award-winning Seeds of Survival program promotes vibrant family farms, strong rural communities, and healthy ecosystems around the world.
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It is good for sustainable and organic agriculture. Please, provide more information.
Regards
Raj Kumar