Ganesh Bahadur Shrestha, a resident of Shailung Rural Municipality Ward No. 3 in Dhunge, embodies the transformative power of dedication and opportunity. Once struggling to make ends meet through subsistence farming, Ganesh has evolved into a successful agro-entrepreneur through perseverance and support from community-led development efforts.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 brought unprecedented challenges, making everyday life and farming especially difficult. While short-term relief was offered by various groups, lasting change came when Ganesh joined a Self-Help Group (SHG) supported by Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) through its Smallholder’s Empowerment by Entrepreneurship Development (SEED) project.
With technical guidance, training in agroecology, and partial financial support from the SEED project, Ganesh began his journey into nursery management and organic vegetable production. These skills helped him switch from survival farming to running a business-oriented, pro-organic farm and inspired others in his community to consider agro-enterprise opportunities.
Today, Ganesh has expanded his farming by establishing shared net houses for off-season vegetable cultivation using organic methods. With ongoing training, essential supplies like seeds and saplings, and regular technical support from the SEED project, he has transformed a once uncertain venture into a profitable enterprise. Ganesh now firmly believes that organic farming can be both financially rewarding and beneficial for health.
His annual sales include approximately Rs. 100,000 from cauliflower and cabbage, Rs. 100,000 from potatoes, Rs. 30,000 from radishes, and Rs. 40,000 from carrots. In addition to growing vegetables, Ganesh also produces organic bio-fertilizers using local plants and cow urine, reducing input costs and enhancing soil health.
Thanks to his growing income, Ganesh supports his household and invests in his children’s and grandchildren’s education. Looking ahead, he plans to cultivate red radishes and a local Sikkimese pea variety—an indigenous crop from Dolakha District known for its strong market demand and higher prices. He remains committed to organic vegetable production, particularly cauliflower and cabbage, seeing business-oriented farming as a pathway to improved livelihoods.
Ganesh is now scaling up his nursery tunnels, and the SEED project continues to support him with the aim of highlighting his journey as a model example of pro-organic entrepreneurship. His success story has motivated other farmers to recognize the potential of organic farming as a viable agribusiness, aligning with today’s increased focus on healthy, sustainable food systems.
Ganesh expresses deep gratitude for the SEED project’s vision and steadfast assistance, believing that pro-organic farming offers a brighter future—not just for individual smallholders and their families, but for entire communities committed to better food, health, and sustainable livelihoods.
Original source: Cultivating Success: The Journey of Ganesh Bahadur Shrestha in Pro-Organic Farming — Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN)
https://rrn.org.np/success-story/cultivating-success-the-journey-of-ganesh-bahadur-shrestha-in-pro-organic-farming/ Rural Reconstruction Nepal
