Farmers across Bhojpur are looking for steadier incomes, some by keeping a traditional fiber crop going and others by switching to ginger to escape monkeys that damage their harvests. In Arun Rural Municipality, 25 to 30 households in Simtar, Jogitar, Vaireni, Bastang, Baseri and Chomtang grow Kogati, a traditional fiber crop, commercially, according to Ward Chair Ganesh Rai. Farmer Devkumar Rai says hand-woven daura suruwal cloth is in high demand and that Kogati farming brings in up to Rs 300,000 a year. Municipality Chair Shalikram Khatri says the municipality is providing improved seeds, tools and training in making cloth by hand.
Meanwhile, farmers in Bhojpur Municipality are turning from maize and millet to ginger because monkeys make traditional food crops hard to grow, Ratopati reported. Farmers say ginger grows underground, so it is safe from monkeys, and that it can be dried and ground into powder. Farmer Sabitra Pokharel says ginger sells for Rs 100 to Rs 120 per kilogram in the local market.
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In Bhojpur, farmers in Arun Rural Municipality are conserving traditional Kogati fiber farming, while others are switching to ginger because monkeys damage maize and millet.
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