Khabara earning identity as Banana Village

Representative image from www.istockphoto.com

GALESHWAR, (MYAGDI), OCTOBER 15: The river flows at the bottom. Khabara village, part of Beni Municipality-2, is situated in between. Until a few years ago, the area was covered with grass and thicket, but it has since been transformed by banana farming, now a primary income source for around 150 families.

Local farmer Narayan Sapkota shared that the village generates an annual income of Rs 20 million from banana sales. According to another resident, Jagat Ghimire, banana cultivation in Khabara began in 2057 BS, when three Hajari variety saplings were brought from Pokhara. Now, 24 years later, banana farming has expanded to over 500 ropanis of land (one ropani equals 508.74 sq. meters), establishing the village’s identity as ‘Kera Gaun’ or Banana Village.

Tejendra Bahadur Karki, a farmer from Khabara, cultivated bananas on 23 ropanis of previously unused land. He revealed to RSS that he earns around Rs 700,000 annually from banana production.

“The entire village is now covered with banana plantations. Families began growing bananas on previously fallow sloped land, which was unsuitable for other crops due to poor water and manure retention,” Karki explained. He added that the village’s greenery has flourished due to the plantations, with banana farming becoming the primary livelihood for locals.

Leading farmers, including Yam Bahadur Ghimire, Jagat Ghimire, Prem Kunwar, Chandra Bahadur Karki, Shovit Sharma, and Tejendra Karki, have spearheaded banana farming in the village. According to Karki, more residents are shifting from crop cultivation to banana farming, drawn by its profitability. “There isn't a single family in the village that hasn’t planted bananas on their sloped land,” said farmer Jagat Bahadur Ghimire.

Yam Bahadur Karki, ward chairperson of Beni Municipality-2, stated that farmers in Khabara earn between Rs 30,000 and Rs 1 million annually from banana sales. He attributed the shift to commercial banana cultivation to the favorable climate, market access, and promising income opportunities.

In Khabara, several banana varieties are grown, including Bais Nangre, Maldhunge, Dhusre, and Chini.