Farmers of the Chichila Rural Municipality have sowed water-maize in the land are of two hundred ropani.
They have enlarged the area of the plantation this year with the joint effort of the Rural Municipality.
The Rural Municipality has declared the Matchhe and Dhaje area of ward number 4 as the pocket area to grow the delicious and nutritious corn.
The Rural Municipality has provided Rs 1.2 million as a grant for farmers to implement the programme of pocket area.
The agriculture section of the rural municipality has informed that 25 farmers have participated in this programme.
The municipality has targeted to produce 250 kg corn in a ropani of land this year.
Chairman of the Rural Municipality, Pasang Narbu Sherpa, said that since the irrigation system has been upgraded, the production will increase in comparison to the previous year.
The price of the maize ranges between Rs. 300 to 400 for 4 kg.
The maize is considered as good for the diabetes compared to other maize.
The rural municipality Chairman claimed that the maize is exclusively grown in the municipality and cannot be found in the other area.
Head of the Agriculture Knowledge Center of Shankhuwasabha, Govinda Acharya, said that he has heard about this maize for the first time.
Acharya said that the sample of the maize has been collected for the study.
He said that it cannot be grown without sufficient water so it has added the challenge.
How this water-maize sowed
The process of sowing and tending this type of corn is different from other kind of maize.
One of the farmers of the maize, Kajiman Gurung, said that it grows in sloppy terrain as it needs sloppy terrain where water can soak the pant and flow out but should be reserved for longer time. Water should not log around the plant, but the plant should be able to get water from around.
Another farmer, Mira Rai, said that no extra fertilizer is required. She added that water itself works as fertilizer.
Irrigation is required continuously when the plant is one and a half feet tall till its harvesting period.
Source : THE RISING NEPAL,
