ILAM: Sanam Rai, ward chairperson of Sandakpur Rural Municipality-2, Ilam, has emerged as an example of a local leader who has combined public service with commercial farming.
After completing his daily responsibilities at the ward office, Rai spends his free time tending to his kiwi orchard, which he has developed into a commercial enterprise. He believes that elected representatives should also set examples through productive work.
Rai has been cultivating kiwi commercially on 15 ropanis of land. He registered the Paurkhi Agriculture and Livestock Farm in 2077 BS and began commercial kiwi production.
His orchard currently has 155 kiwi plants of two varieties, Green and Golden. He has installed a support structure consisting of 310 concrete pillars and iron wires to provide scaffolding for the vines.
Rai initially invested Rs 200,000 in kiwi farming and now earns around Rs 300,000 annually from the orchard. “I spend my spare time after public service working in kiwi farming, and the income is good in proportion to the effort,” Rai said. “I earn around Rs 300,000 annually, which is enough to support my household.”
The main kiwi harvesting season runs from Asoj to Mangsir. During the season, Rai sells the fruit directly from his orchard to local traders at Rs 100 to Rs 120 per kilogram.
Rai turned to kiwi farming after previously growing potatoes and maize. Recalling his earlier experience, he said traditional crops were not providing sufficient returns.
“Potatoes and maize were traditionally grown here, but the income was not enough even to meet daily needs,” he said. “I started kiwi farming after learning that it could generate better returns.”
He said farmers who had been cultivating maize and potatoes for generations are now benefiting from commercial kiwi production.
Rai also encourages young people to consider farming in their home villages rather than leaving the country in search of employment. He believes kiwi farming can provide an opportunity for self-employment if unused agricultural land is properly utilized.
“As more young people leave the country, agricultural land in villages is increasingly being left unused,” he said. “By making proper use of barren and underutilized land, young people can create employment opportunities for themselves in their own villages.”
Rai has also expanded into cardamom farming this year, planting 7,000 cardamom seedlings. He was elected ward chairperson from the then Nepal Communist Party (Unified Socialist) in the 2079 BS local-level elections.
Before his election as ward chairperson, Rai’s farm had received a Rs 150,000 grant from the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernization Project in Ilam during fiscal year 2078/79 under a 50 percent cost-sharing arrangement.
Rai said his farm later received support under a Rs 300,000 programme, with Rs 150,000 contributed by the project and the remaining Rs 150,000 provided by the farm.
Kiwi is a perennial climbing fruit crop that can be cultivated at elevations ranging from around 1,200 to 2,400 meters. The crop thrives in areas where summer temperatures remain below 35 degrees Celsius and conditions during autumn and spring are favorable, with no severe frost.
Known for its nutritional and medicinal properties, kiwi is often referred to as the “king of fruits.” Regular consumption is considered beneficial for digestion and blood sugar management. The fruit can also be processed into juice, jam, wine, jelly, ice cream and other products.
Farmers in the higher areas of Sandakpur Rural Municipality, Ilam Municipality, Mangsebung Rural Municipality and Deumai Municipality have increasingly shifted from traditional crops to commercial kiwi cultivation.
Farmers are becoming more interested in kiwi because the crop requires relatively less repeated investment once the orchard is established, faces fewer major marketing difficulties and can generate better returns than many traditional crops.
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