Few Words
ABOUT US
हामी को हौं?
OUR STORY
When many think of which farming venture to invest in, poultry, food crops, citrus fruits and livestock cross their mind.
It’s only a few like me that took a different route. I chose to invest in forage fodder pasture herbs growing as a way of helping farmers get the right breeds of pasture to feed their animals for better yields.
Beginning of the Journey
As a 16-year-old entrepreneur, I started the forage fodder pasture business 20 years ago, after joining NACRMLP. I came into the system after the Consortium for enhancing NACRMLP Responsiveness to growing fodder forage pasture seeds is good business development (NACRMLP) which presented an opportunity to me for forage extension and Mr. Allan Robertson,Mr. Satrughan Lal Pradhan,Mr. Rameshwar singh pandey guided me frequently as per my needs.
“When I get the opportunity, I tend to shar with my friends my experiences, i am constantly advised to do more field/ground level works in forage and pasture industry and its commercial application. Doing this has helped me understand things about production, the type of pastures that the person would get a good market for, save time and life when collecting forage and the costs of production involved,”
Inspiration
It is from the NACRMLP project that I picked inspiration to continue growing pasture and produce seeds, slips for farmers. I started with 110 flower pot and later on expand on 90 square meters of land. I started with some forage fodder and pasture genetic materials as starting capital but finding market was most challenging task for me not knowing exactly where to sell my produce. Then I purchased different pasture seeds and planting material from abroad too.
Farm Establishment & Management
I major in pasture seed production. “As a forage fodder pasture seeds producer, I know that different farmers, depending on what they are rearing, need specific types of pasture. So, we produce pasture seeds for dairy cattle, rabbits and goats, avian among others animals,” The improved pastures have a high growth rate are and resistant to drought thus solving the biggest problem of inadequate feeds during dry seasons. The two broad groups of pastures I deals in include grasses and legumes.
Grasses includes Chloris Gayana , Kikuyu grass, Panicum Maximum , Napier Grass (mott, co3, supper), Brachiaria Mulato-I, Mulato-II, Brizantha, Siginal Grass, Setaria, Phalaris, Paspalum, Ryegrass, Cocksfoot, Bromegrass , Fescue, Foxtail.
Legumes includes Forage Peanut, Desmodium, Stylo, Atro, Glycine, Butterfly Pea, Axilaris, Maku Lotus, White Clover, Red Clover, Lucern, Biserulla, Wyncassia, Joint vetch.
Fodder/Bushes includes Ficus spp, Flemingia, Mulberry, Indigofera, Tarramba, Ipil-k156, Diversifolia, Tagasate, Salix, Tephrosia, Sesbania, Hedge Lucern.
Recognizing the Needs of Farmers
Before I sell the seeds, I inquire about the kind of animals the farmer is rearing and the objective of the farm. This gives me a clear picture of what exactly she or he will need. Adding, Different animals need different pastures depending on the objective. Meat, wool, milk cattle are fed differently because they are reared for different purposes. So as I give advice to the farmers, I mainly consider their objective. I sell the seeds towards and during the planting season and annual seeds during the dry season.
Advantages and Impacts
Now forage sector is primary and important part of whole agriculture is able to creates thousands of jobs for farmers, technician, professional and filled the hunger of millions animals and avian. At present about 15000 farmers are directly involved on producing planting materials of forage and their livelihood is depends on forage. Yearly transaction of forage seeds slips in Nepal is approx. Nrs. 250 million.
I further note that the pastures once planted, have a high ability to colonize the places where they are grown and they have high levels of required nutrients that are needed by animals for quick maturity, increased production, decrease the cost of production , good health of livestock ,wild animals / avian and quality products. Creates income generation
Other advantages about the improved pastures include; the high regeneration potential (after grazing/cutting) and soil fertility improvement by nitrogen fixation. Soil erosion control, environment conservation, maintain agrobiodiversity.
Clients
My clients are mostly farmers, who are informed or knowledgeable and have done research and need the best for their businesses. I have also got agricultural institutions that have started taking the seeds in large qualities,”
Challanges
It has not been a bed of roses; I have faced different huddles during the time of my operation. I point out land as one of the most challenging issues and specialization on geographic and climate smart species of forage fodder pasture.
“Given the kind of clients I deal with, I need to at least get more land to be able to satisfy them at all times.”
In scenarios where early farmers take many seeds, others who come towards the end of the planting season have little or no seed thus pushing them to the following season which cost them a lot,” he reveals.
Achievements
I have been able to build a small resident to my family and buy a patch of land where I intend to scale up my forage resource centre. yet still I have this little void where there is still need fo fullfill local market demands, I haven’t lost the plan of exporting forage fodder pasture seeds. I have been able to move steadily from the time I started. In the last season, I decided to re-invest the net profit to expand the agroforestry resource center.
My Small forage resource center scale up to K.K Enterprises and now upgraded as कृषिवन स्रोत केन्द्र Agroforestry Resource Centre. Pvt. LTD.