Ginger Competitiveness: a boost in the livelihood of the farmers
Ginger crop generates important cash income to ginger-farmers in the target districts. However, many farmers were unaware of good practices to have better harvest and post-harvest management of the produce ensuring optimum price available to them. The farmers planted locally available cultivars, which are low yielding and susceptible to rhizome rot (disease) and other pests. Having no option to store the produce until they could fetch a genuine price, the farmers were bound to dispose it to traders that transported the ginger to Naxalbari in India for washing, grading and packaging.
Introduction of superior cultivars in use, good agricultural practices in production and post-harvest cleaning and grading were desired for improvements in quality of marketable ginger-rhizomes so that Nepalese ginger fetched higher price in export markets (including India) and such, with proceeds transferred to the farmers, motivated them to scale of production. The Farmers' Field Schools (FFS), an extension program under the Ginger Competitiveness Project, have worked in improvement of farm production and supply of higher quality and quantity ginger rhizome. With reduced cost of cultivation, increased yield and productivity and reduced post-harvest deterioration due mainly to successful management of rhizome-rot and other ginger pests, quality seed production promotion, group production linked to GAP certification and introduction of improved technologies (including cultivars) and resulting improvements in produce quality and quantity, the farmers (women) are empowered socially and benefited economically.
Ms. Hem Maya Pradhan, 34, of Ramite village of Fikkal is one of many ginger farmer beneficiaries of the FAO Project. Before the project was launched in her village, Hem Maya was not very optimistic of ginger plantation because of the poor yield. The yield was 1:2 in ratio meaning she used to get 800 kilogram ginger in return of 400 kilogram ginger she used to plant in a patch of land with an area of 1000 square meter, roughly 2 ropanis. Because of not having the technical knowledge required for the ginger plantation in a proper way, she came across many hurdles on her way from plantation to placement in the market. She did not have any idea of treatment of rhizome rot, a common disease that appears in the ginger plants. Negligence in safe storing of the product was another factor contributing to the loss she faced. It was difficult for her to approach the market individually to sell the product in good price. The brokers used to charge up to 25% to sell her product leaving a minimal profit in return. Hem Maya, who is chairperson of Ramite Good Agriculture Practice Group, says, “After receiving training in the FFS, we, the ginger farmers, are in position to sort out the problems ourselves. The yield has been boosted from 1:2 to 1:8."
"Our group has started collective efforts in plantation and selling the product. The collective efforts have solved the problem of getting required hands for the plantation and treatment. Now we are in position to get a good price by making deals with brokers collectively”, she says. “Working together in group in the field is like a fanfare and eating mid-day launch together is like a picnic.” Hem Maya, a mother of two sons, one aged 12 year and another 8 year, is now in a position to send her children to a good boarding school in the hill town of Ilam bazar. Like Hem Maya, ginger farming communities of Panchthar, Ilam, Morang and Jhapa districts, dominated by women farmers, are to be benefitted more after the full operation of the Ginger washing and processing facility established at Duwagadhi-9 of Jhapa district. FAO has supported the Ministry of Agricultural Development in implementation of the project, which is implemented in Morang, Jhapa, Ilam and Panchthar districts of Nepal.
Impacts such as 2,000 farmers (60% women) trained in the Ginger Farmers Field School, 3500-4000 farm households having access to the ginger washing and processing facilities, are making headway to bring about a boost in the livelihood of the farmers.
A 6 metric ton per hour capacity washing facilities is constructed at Duwagadhi-9 of Jhapa Ginger washing and processing facility established at Duwagadhi-9 of Jhapa district in a public-private partnership approach under a donor supported programme was handed over to Nepal Ginger Producers and Traders’ Association (NGPTA) on 3 May 2016 amidst a formal convention held at the meeting hall of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD).