06/01/2019
GCI extends services to a group of farmers in Dhading
GCI has extended its services to a group of farmers from Dhading district recently. A group of farmers who were involved in organic farming but were contemplating on abandoning it due to lack of various resources decided to continue organic farming after holding discussions with GCI Manager, Samjhana Bam.
On January 3, 2019, 30 farmers from Chunibesi Municipality and Thakra Galchi Rural Municipality of Dhading district participated in an interaction program facilitated by Ms. Bam. On the occasion, the farmers shared that they have been doing organic farming for a long period of time but were contemplating it due to problems related to marketing, the price of their produces in the market and lack of modern technology for doing organic farming at the commercial level.
One of the major problems that the farmers highlighted was the prices that their organic produces received at the local market. They said along with facing fierce competition from chemical used products, they sometimes are forced to sell their organic produce at prices lower than those offered by the same products produced using chemicals. This lack of market for their produces and the resulting uncertainty, they said, was the major reason for them to contemplate to give up organic farming in favor of chemical farming.
In response, Ms. Bam explained the way GCI works with farmers at the grass root, the facilities that it provides in terms of technical resources, seeds, fertilizers, access to market and training for organic farming. Soon after the interaction, the farmers also visited GCI organic farm and its outlet and learned the way GCI works with farmers and marketers. She pledged to work with them closely in the days ahead and urged them to continue producing organic products by collaborating with GCI for all their needs.