PARBAT: Japanese chestnut farming has begun for the first time in Parbat district, with cultivation expanded over 140 ropanis of previously unused land in Puwadanda, Thulipokhari of Kushma Municipality-12. The land had been left fallow for years due to manpower shortages and monkey encroachment.
Supported by the Hilly Region Fruit and Fruit Development Project under the Provincial Project Implementation Unit in Pokhara, the initiative is led by the Advanced Agriculture Farmers Group. Group Chairman Tikaram Upadhyay said over 25 member farmers have contributed their barren plots, and the goal is to plant 1,000 Chestnut saplings this year.
The total investment in the project is approximately Rs 4.6 million, half of which—Rs 2.3 million—is funded through the government grant. The funds have been used for land clearing, irrigation pond construction, fertilizer and seedling procurement, and plantation.
According to Basudev Regmi, Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Cooperatives in Gandaki Province, Chestnut trees begin to yield fruit after two years, with full commercial output expected by the fourth year. Each tree can produce 50 to 70 kg of nuts annually.
He added that macadamia farming is ideal for areas up to 1,600 meters in altitude and offers higher returns from smaller land areas. It is also less prone to damage from pests and wild animals, including monkeys, which typically avoid the crop.
Chestnut can be consumed raw, like almonds, and are used in edible oil, chocolates, biscuits, and ice cream. The optimal planting season for saplings is during the months of Jestha and Asar.
Inaugurating the plantation on Saturday, Gandaki Province’s Minister for Agriculture, Land and Cooperatives, Padma GC Shrestha, emphasized the crop’s income-generating potential, especially in rural areas affected by youth migration and wildlife encroachment. He called for long-term investments in such crops that require initial effort but provide sustainable returns.
Gandaki’s Minister for Industry and Tourism, Mitra Lal Basyal, along with Provincial Assembly Member Bhakta Kunwar, expressed commitment to promoting fruit cultivation in geographically suitable regions across the district. Last year, Mahashila Rural Municipality also initiated commercial macadamia cultivation by planting 700 saplings, signaling growing interest in the crop.
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