Farmers busy in harvesting yams ahead of Maghe Sankranti

KATHMANDU: As the Maghe Sankranti festival approaches, farmers in Bagmati Municipality, Sarlahi, are busy harvesting yams.

Dal Bahadur Lungele, a yam farmer from Tekani, Bagmati Municipality-5, shared that the harvesting rush begins in the second week of Poush to meet the festive demand.

Lungele cultivated yams on five katthas of land along the Bagmati riverbed. He plans to sell his harvest by the third week of Poush to capitalize on the high prices during the festival.

“Yam prices are better around Maghe Sankranti,” he explained. “We aim to sell everything by Poush 25 or 26, as prices tend to drop afterward.”

Yams, considered beneficial during cold weather, see a spike in demand and value during this season. Farmers in Bagmati Municipality-5 grow yams extensively in the sandy and fertile soil of the Bagmati river basin, which is ideal for cultivation. Local farmer Hiralal Mandal remarked, “The riverbed farming has become as valuable as gold. Yam farming provides substantial income.”

Bimal Khadka, a farmer from Bagmati Municipality-4, Jirayet, also confirmed the profitability of yam cultivation compared to other crops.

He has planted yams on one bigha of land, combining his own fields and leased land. While most of his crops thrived, some areas faced issues, he noted.

Farmers in the area grow two varieties of yams—Aakase (white yam) and Pataale (red yam).

According to Ram Dares Mahato, a yam trader from Bagmati-4, white yams are less flavorful but yield higher quantities and fetch lower prices. In contrast, red yams are tastier, have lower yields, but are sold at higher rates.

Farmers typically harvest between 80 and 120 quintals of yams per bigha. During the Chhath festival earlier this year, yam prices reachedPRs 120 per kilogram, but they have now dropped to Rs 55–60 per kilogram, said trader Dambar Bahadur Khadka.

Khadka has planted yams on over 20 bighas of land, including leased fields, where annual rents range between Rs 50,000 and 60,000 per bigha.

The cost of yam cultivation—including seeds, fertilizers, and labor—amounts to around Rs 8,000 per kattha. However, farmers earn Rs 30,000 to 40,000 per kattha in return, making it a lucrative venture.

According to the agriculture branch of Bagmati Municipality, yam cultivation spans about 300 bighas of land annually in the area. Experts emphasize that riverbed fields are ideal for yam farming as irrigated fields pose risks of waterlogging.

Agriculture technician Himal Shahi stated that previously unused riverbed lands now yield significant profits for farmers. The municipality allocates around five katthas per household for cultivation, with crops like peanuts, sweet potatoes, mustard, corn, and vegetables grown alongside yams.

This diversification has significantly improved the income levels of local farmers, transforming their livelihoods.