JUMLA: Jumla has produced a total of 3,671 metric tons of beans in a single year. According to Ram Bhakta Adhikari, Chief of the Agriculture Development Office in Jumla, the district generated a revenue of Rs 13,392,000 from the sale of this quantity during the fiscal year 2024/25.

Beans are currently cultivated across 2,257 hectares of land throughout the district. Office Chief Adhikari noted that due to a recent surge in market demand, local farmers are increasingly drawn toward bean cultivation. He highlighted that beans are rapidly establishing themselves as a vital cash crop for the farmers.

Farmers across various regions—including Tila Gauchpalika, Tatopani, Chandannath, Kanakasundari, Patarasi, Hima, and Guthichaur—have secured handsome earnings from bean farming. However, Karan Budha, a farmer from Tila Government-1, pointed out that despite excellent production rates, farmers still face challenges due to poor market management and a lack of uniformity in pricing.

According to Ward Member Bijakali Budha, farmers in Rara village of Tila—recognized as the district’s primary hub for bean production—produced between 3 to 12 quintals of beans per household last year.

To support this momentum, the National Agriculture Modernization Project Implementation Unit, Jumla, has declared Tila-1, Rara, as a dedicated “Bean Zone.”

Kheam Raj Shahi, chief of the project unit, stated that the Bean Zone program is active across 800 hectares of land encompassing wards 1, 2, 8, and 9 of the municipality to foster commercial production and establish processing centers.

Despite these efforts, local farmers from Tila express frustration over unfair pricing, mentioning they are often forced to sell their produce to local traders for as low as Rs 150 per kilogram. Meanwhile, the Agriculture Development Office continues to support farmers by providing improved seeds, technical assistance, and commercial farming training.