Chhatrakot, Gulmi – Farmers in Chhatrakot Rural Municipality, Gulmi, are setting a new example in Nepal’s agriculture  success stories by earning substantial incomes through commercial vegetable farming, especially using tunnel farming techniques.

Imansingh Rana: From Migrant Worker to Successful Farmer

Imansingh Rana, a 47-year-old farmer from Ward 2, Pallikot, has transformed his livelihood by dedicating himself to vegetable farming for the past six years. After spending his youth working in India, Rana returned home seeking a more sustainable future. Inspired by a friend’s vegetable farm in Hunga, he began his own farming journey.

Today, he cultivates tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, chilies, and more on 10 ropani of land. What began with selling vegetables door-to-door has grown into a thriving enterprise. A local cooperative store, Paicho Pasal, now collects produce directly from his farm.

He grows three tomato varieties – Puro, Bin Sherin, and Srijana –and practices crop diversification to ensure year-round yields. Rana reports selling prices of cauliflower at NPR 120/kg, beans at NPR 130/kg, cabbage at NPR 55/kg, and tomatoes ranging from NPR 30 to 75/kg based on market demand.

With 10 tunnel houses, Rana estimates seasonal tomato production at 100 quintals. After expenses, he earns NPR 400,000 to 500,000 annually. Support from his family has been a key motivation.

“Eating vegetables grown at home keeps my family healthy. There’s nothing more satisfying,” says Rana.

Dan Bahadur Palli: Scaling Up to 41 Tunnels

In nearby Ward 1, farmer Dan Bahadur Palli has also found success through vegetable farming. Starting with open-field tomatoes in 2015, he now grows crops on 10 ropani of land under 41 tunnels-10 permanent and 31 temporary structures.

His main crop is tomato, but he also grows beans, mustard greens (raayo), and gopika. Palli practices intercropping by growing gopika beneath tomatoes, doubling productivity in the same space. Beans sell for NPR 80 to 100 per kilogram, and he targets 6 quintals of production this season.

“I send all my vegetables to Butwal, so I don’t worry about market access,” he says.

Palli earns about NPR 1.2 million annually and nets approximately NPR 600,000 in profit. Last fiscal year, he received a NPR 400,000 subsidy from the Lumbini Province Government, matched by his own investment, to build 10 additional tunnels. He aims to add 10 more tunnels each year.

“If you’re committed, you can grow gold in your own land,” Palli remarks. “Rather than just subsidies, the government should also recognize and reward successful farmers.”

Read : Top 7 Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices for Small Farmers in Nepal

Water Shortages Hindering Growth

Despite their success, both farmers face a common challenge: irrigation. Though the "Smart Agriculture Village" program has been implemented in Hunga for the past two years under Lumbini Province, the lack of sufficient irrigation water remains a major hurdle.

“We couldn’t expand as much as planned because of water shortages,” says Palli. “We’ve had to spend a large portion of our earnings just to access water.”

Local farmer Hom Bahadur Palli echoed the same concern, highlighting that even with new agricultural programs, the absence of irrigation has limited productivity.

In the current fiscal year, Chhatrakot Rural Municipality has allocated NPR 235 million for drinking water infrastructure. However, there is no specific budget for irrigation. According to Rural Municipality Chairperson Madhu Krishna Pant, large drinking water projects are underway in Hunga and Pallikot. The municipality also plans to rehabilitate and manage traditional canal systems to improve irrigation.

Conclusion
The stories of Iman singh Rana and Dan Bahadur Palli are shining examples of how rural farmers can turn agriculture into a profitable venture. With proper infrastructure-especially irrigation-and market access through  coperatives , vegetable farming in Nepal holds great potential to transform lives and strengthen the rural economy.