A walking training was conducted from August 27th to 31st, 2024, with the participation of 18 agricultural graduates, technicians, and social agents in the Lalitpur and Kavrepalanchok districts.
The journey started from Lubhu and concluded at Lakuribhanjyang of Lalitpur district on the first day. During the visit, participants did a brief observation of commercial agriculture and interacted with farmers. Participants also discussed the challenges faced by commercial farmers, especially about the emergence of new diseases and pests.
The second day of the journey began in Lakuribhanjyang and concluded at Kushadevi, Kavrepalanchok. Along the way, the participants interacted with farmers in the community and learned about their cropping pattern, cultivation practices, and their views on sustainable farming. Similarly, participants communicated with officials of Ward 1 of Panauti municipality to understand about the situation of commercial farming, community forestry, and pesticide use in that area.
In the third day, the journey started from Kushadevi and ended in Khopasi. Along the way, participants observed cropping patterns, land grabbing, forest fires, and landslides. Similarly, participants met with the agriculture officer of the Panauti municipality to discuss soil health conditions and the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the area. Moreover, participants visited the sericulture development center and explored the potential of silkworm farming in Nepal.
The journey started from Khopasi on the fourth day and ended in Bethanchowk. During this portion of the walk, the participants observed the agricultural practices and livestock farming of the community. Participants had a brief discussion about land and water management, integrated pest management, and the impacts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on human health in Bethanchowk.
On the fifth day, participants traveled to Narayanthan, where they visited a sacred Vishnu temple and enjoyed views of the Himalayas, including Ganesh, Langtang, Manaslu, and Everest. The training concluded with a self-reflection session to assess its impact on the participants’ learning and development.
