Annual profit of 7 lakh from selling tomatoes
Roka, who has been engaged in commercial tomato farming for the past three years, is pleased with his business.
KATHMANDU: In Hapur, Ward-12 of Ghorahi Municipality, Jay Bahadur Roka’s farm is currently overflowing with ripe tomatoes.
Roka, who has been engaged in commercial tomato farming for the past three years, is pleased with his business.
He shares that if tomatoes are produced at the right time, they can bring in significant income. “This year, I produced on time, so there’s no market issue,” he says. “I plan to continue with this farming.”
Originally from Runtighadi-7 in Rolpa, Roka moved to Ghorahi, where he worked as a staff member at a community school for seven years. After spending 10 years in Malaysia for foreign employment, he returned to Nepal and began farming.
Today, he has managed to save around seven lakh rupees annually from selling tomatoes, which help cover his expenses.
Although he sells tomatoes worth 1.8 million rupees annually, his savings are after deducting all expenses like fertilizers, seeds, labor, and land rent. “I’ve created jobs for 10 people,” Roka explains. “I used to do agricultural business in Rolpa, but the road conditions made it hard to market the produce.”
Roka sold his tomatoes at 50 rupees per kilogram in bulk until December, but prices have since decreased.
He rents three bighas of land for tomato farming, while his own land is just 12.5 kathas. The annual land rent is 98,000 rupees.
With a family of eight, Roka’s earnings from tomato farming fund his children’s education.
Although he faced losses last year due to diseases and pests delaying production, he reports that this year’s income has been satisfactory.
