Vision to Value: High Value Transformation

Nilo Shahi aged 36, resides in close proximity to Sukatiya Bazar in Suvakalika Rural Municipality, Kalikot. He holds the position of President at Shri Khapardev Krishi Sahakari Sanstha Limited, located in Sukatiya. This cooperative consists of 53 members, comprising 35 women and 18 men. The cooperative has assumed the dual responsibility of not only attracting its members to engage in agriculture but also marketing the vegetables they cultivate. Nilo Shahi assumed leadership following the initiation of the SuLaBH project in the village.

The SuLaBH project’s primary objective was to educate, organize, train, and support the local populace, particularly in the cultivation of high-value, commercial seeds. Nilo Shahi played a pivotal role in organizing the farmers and was subsequently offered the position of chairman of the cooperative. The cooperative has placed significant emphasis on high-value crops, including the cultivation of 850 walnut trees in previously barren land, alongside turmeric and apple farming

Cooperative members embark on a two-hour uphill journey from the village to the project’s high-value fruit farming area. Each walnut tree yields a minimum of 40 to 45 kilograms of walnuts, with the cooperative aiming to achieve an annual walnut sales target of fifty million worth. Furthermore, the cooperative has invested in potato chip and spice grinding machines, which are expected to generate substantial income for its members, estimated at one lakh per year. Mim Bahadur Shahi, the President of Ward No. 5, acknowledged the SuLaBH Project’s significant contribution to enhancing community self-reliance in agriculture. He highlighted the transformation of once-deserted lands into productive greenery with commercial value. Moreover, the project’s investments in walnut and apple orchards, which provide lucrative returns to farmers, have also served as a valuable lesson for the local government. The project has fostered awareness among women, children, and youth regarding social and economic development.