Vegetable farming brings financial independence to Maya and her family

BAJHANG: Many people in the hilly districts have abandoned farming due to a lack of roads, market access, irrigation facilities, and modern technology.

However, Maya Japrel of Sain, Durgathali Rural Municipality-5, has turned these very challenges into opportunities, emerging as an inspiration in the agricultural sector.

Forty-five-year-old Japrel has transformed her passion for the land into a business, earning an annual income of over Rs 800,000. She is now funding her son’s medical education.

Maya says she turned to agriculture as a primary source of income. In the past, there were no road facilities to transport produce from Durgathali to the district headquarters, Chainpur. As a result, she used to carry her produce on her back and walk for hours to reach the local market. “It used to be very difficult when there were no roads. Now that the road has reached us, selling our produce has become much easier.”

Maya’s vegetable farming yields produce year-round. She cultivates a variety of seasonal and off-season vegetables including cabbage, tomatoes, and cauliflower and notes that she earns a particularly good income from tomatoes and cabbage.