The innovative projects are:
1. The ultimate success in breeding of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in highland of Jumla, Nepal
2. The agroforestry in Khoriya (sloping uplands)
3. Small scale fish farming in water harvesting ponds
4. Multi-use water system (Hybridized drinking water system)
1. The ultimate success in breeding of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in highland of Jumla, Nepal
2. The agroforestry in sloping uplands (shifting cultivation areas)
The hills and mountains collectively called uplands constitute two third of the total land area of Nepal. The percent of sloping land more than 30% is 66.3 % while with higher than 8% is 79%. Usually the slope gradient greater than 18% is forbidden for annual cropping. Despite of this fact, a large chunk of people do cultivation in theses areas. Sloping uplands have been home to most farming communities in the hills & mountains, which have been instrumental in evolving a variety of upland farming systems to sustain their livelihoods. In Nepal 18.5 million people are dependent on slope lands and these communities are deprived of the necessary technological support to adopt sustainable production options.
Various research reports have indicated that the development of fruit orchard in shifting cultivation area is found to be an attractive alternative for people generating income provided the soils and slopes are favorable and location is closure to market. This conviction is based on the fact that fruit orchard does well under rainfed conditions if optimum utilization of rainwater is achieved by introducing soil management and land husbandry practices. These factors are very much closure in Makawanpur context. Makawanpur is one of the high rainfall receiving districts among others in this region.
The fruit crops successfully grown are banana and pineapples. These are grown in altitude ranges from 300 m to 900 m. Tree fodders include Ipil-ipil (Leucaena lecocephala) and Bakaino (Melia azedarach) which are intermixed with banana and pineapples. Stylo grasses (Stylosanthes spp) which are protein rich perennial grass are also promoted in fruit orchards. Stylo grass is a legume grass which consists rhizobium bacteria in its root nodules can supplements nitrogen to the adjacent crops through its symbiotic functions. In later periods, the citrus fruits like lime and lemons are also introduced realizing that these crops have remunerative prices even in local markets.
As of February 2007 the income from the sale of bananas, pineapples, vegetables and cereals that were adopted after initiation of the project, totaled more than $ 56,000. Each participating households is taking income from the sales of banana and pineapples by Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,500 per month. The substantial increase in income from the land has created as subsequent rise in the value of it. It is estimated that land brought under the management strategy of the project is now 33-66 times more valuable.
Please read the successful case study entitled as:
” My family will not have to die of hunger “
” Buddhi Maya’s painful days gone away “
3. Small scale fish farming in water harvesting ponds
Fish farming in pond is a relatively new practice in the rural area of Makawanpur. It is further strange in Chepang community although they are popular in fishing in natural rivers and lakes.
Mr. Arde Singh Praja demonstrated a successful fish farming project in Devitar of Kankada VDC-4. He had built a small water harvesting tank using silapulin plastic supported by Danida/MDI. The size of the pond was 68 m3 (L=9.30 m x B=7.30 m x H= 1 m). In five months period he harvested 40 kgs. fishes of different species and sold it in Rs. 4,400.
This successful demonstration has attracted many other families to replicate this technology in Kankada, Manahari and Handikhola VDC. Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) has agreed to provide support for forty additional ponds with a total funding of Rs. 1 million. Out of them 12 families have put fingerlings in the pond. The growth of the fingerlings is satisfactory. No mortality is recorded till this period.
Please see the case entitled
” Fish Farming in Plastic Ponds “
4. Multi-use water system (Hybridized drinking water system)
Multi-use water system technology is a hybridized system in which both irrigation and drinking water needs of the communities are met. The system is designed in such a way that the excess water is tapped and collected in water harvesting ponds and used for irrigation using drip or sprinklers. Pioneered by the IDE in Nepal, this system is now getting popularity among NGOs where the availability of water is low and requires fulfilling both irrigation and drinking water needs of the community.
MDI trained its 6 engineering staffs on this technology using IDE resource persons Mr. Deepak Lochan Adhikari and Mr. Ashok Baral. Mr. Adhikari is a senior engineer previously worked for IDE and is now free lance consultant. Mr. Baral is still attached with IDE and is involved in expansion of MUS technology in other regions of the country.
With this knowledge MDI has successfully established two MUS projects each one in Incharang of Raksirang VDC and Musle of Manahari VDC targeting Chepang families. MDI has further designed 40 MUS projects being implemented under PAF’s support.