Gulmi, 27 Jul: On the 3rd of Shrawan (mid-July), farmer Meghnath from Rajasthal, Dhurkot Rural Municipality–6, Gulmi, conducted his rice planting. That day, three tractors were working in his fields, accompanied by 119 workers in total — 102 planters and 17 helpers known locally as thingare.
Meghnath’s house is in Rajasthal village, while his farmland is located a bit farther in a place called Sistung. On the day of planting, all of Sistung was filled with joy and celebration.
The sounds of tractors and pumping machines filled one side of the field, while traditional musicians performed folk songs to local rhythms on the other. Even the planters and helpers joined in with dance.
For the past five years, Meghnath has been cultivating his own 72 ropani of land along with 28 ropani rented from another local.
“I used to irrigate using water from the local Owan stream,” he said. “But this year, the stream’s source dried up, so I had to use a motor to pump water. I ran the motor for three days straight to prepare the fields, then completed the planting in just one day.”
This is the fourth year he has conducted the rice planting in a single day with musical bands and cultural programs. He even invites local elected representatives, government officials, and high-ranking district personalities to witness the event.
This year, singers Hari Khatri, Shakuntala Gaire, and Himal Thapa performed with a traditional panche baja ensemble. The event drew a large crowd of locals and invited guests, all eager to witness the vibrant display of teamwork and tradition.
“We Nepali farmers consider the 15th of Asar (late June) a celebration,” he said. “This year, I got to celebrate it on the 3rd of Shrawan. Planting everything in one day makes it easier to gather workers and reduces costs. And of course, it becomes a grand festival.”
This year, he spent around 200,000 rupees on the rice planting event, which included musical bands and cultural programs.
He finds it unfortunate that many farmers today view agriculture as a burden. Meghnath wants to show that farming is a matter of pride and hard work.
Back in 1991 (2048 B.S.), Meghnath left Gulmi for Butwal to pursue higher education. After completing his studies, he spent 30 years working in various professions.
For a few years, he worked in the Butwal Sub-Metropolitan Office, but wasn’t satisfied with government service. He quit and opened a hotel at Butwal’s Traffic Chowk, which ran successfully.
He eventually considered going abroad for work. In 2014 (2071 B.S.), he got the chance to go to South Korea. He sold his hotel and left.
Though he had planned to work in Korea for five years, he didn’t enjoy his time there and returned after three.
By the time he returned, real estate was booming in Butwal. Using the money he had saved in Korea, he entered the property business and did well financially.
However, the market collapsed after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in late 2019 (2076 B.S.).
In March 2021 (Chaitra 2077 B.S.), Meghnath left Butwal and returned to his home village in Dhurkot.
After 30 years, he was disheartened to see much of the farmland lying barren.
That inspired him to return to his roots — to work the same soil where he was born and raised. He began by cultivating and reviving his family’s land.
His wife, Tara, became his close partner in this journey. Their son, who has completed a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, is preparing to go abroad for further studies. Their daughter is currently in 11th grade in Butwal.
Meghnath is now deeply satisfied with his life in farming.
“I spent 27 years in Butwal and 3 years in Korea. It’s been five years since I returned to the village, but I’ve achieved more in those five years than I could in the previous thirty,” said Meghnath.
Together with his wife Tara, Meghnath has also ventured into buffalo farming alongside agriculture. They currently have 28 buffaloes and sell an average of 100 liters of milk daily.
To help with the work in the fields and the barn, they have hired 12 full-time workers.
“We started farming and buffalo husbandry with an investment of around 15 million rupees,” he said.
According to Meghnath, farming requires patience and hard work, but success is guaranteed — and he considers his own life a living example.
“Agriculture and livestock farming don’t yield instant results; they require patience,” he explained. “Only when we utilize the fallow lands in the villages to increase production can we create self-employment and make the country self-reliant in food.”
He believes that if the issues of crop damage by monkeys and wild boars are resolved and the government ensures proper irrigation systems, more people will be drawn toward agriculture.
Last year, Meghnath harvested 400 muri (around 320 quintals) of rice, which he sold under his own brand name Dharkote Chamal for the first time. However, since he had a limited quantity, he couldn’t supply it widely to the market.
This year, he plans to buy paddy from other farmers in the village as well and market the rice under the same Dharkote brand.
His farming initiative has also received support from the local government. According to Bhupal Pokharel, Chairperson of Dhurkot Rural Municipality, assistance has been provided for irrigation, technology, and for branding the rice — including help with transportation and packaging.
