Pax Earth is committed to a clean, green, and sustainable environment. It is fulfilling ‘duty to earth and nature’ by conducting tree plantation at schools and community level in Namobuddha Municipality, Kavre, Nepal on a regular basis. Till March 2018, Pax Earth had organised tree plantation under mission education and environment (MEE) project. Pax Earth, with an objective to create a fruit garden at school level, started a fruit garden project at Shree Raktakali Primary School, Shree Seti Devi Primary School, and Shree Kalika Primary School in Namobuddha Municipality, Kavre in July 2018. Pax Earth has expanded the garden project at community level in Kot Timal village in January 2020. The reason of this expansion is to promote greenery at the community level and to contribute to generate income for the underprivileged farmers once these trees start to yield fruits in a sellable quantity.
On July 29, 2020, a 5-member Pax Earth team led by president Sujan Koirala along with members Kapil Deuja, Dev Raj Karki, Prabin Giri and fruit development expert Ramhari Pd. Upadhyay headed to Kot Timal village with 70 fruit saplings including 40 saplings of orange, 5 saplings of pomelo, 7 saplings of kumquat, 7 saplings of pomegranate, 7 saplings of avocado and 4 saplings of lemon for plantation. This is the first program of Pax Earth after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
After arriving at Kot Timal, the Pax team went to a homestead garden of Sudarshan Bhurtel, a beneficiary farmer, for the plantation. He had already prepared two pits sized ‘3ft by 3ft’ each and arranged needed materials like ash, compost manure, mud, and water. Most of the community people gathered at his homestead garden had seen the demonstration of the fruit sapling plantation on January 21, 2020. Therefore, the team let the community people plant the fruit saplings by themselves. It was encouraging to see that they have followed the systematic way of plantation. One sapling each of orange and avocado was properly planted at his garden under the supervision of fruit development expert Upadhyay. Then, the team headed to a homestead garden of Goma Khakurel, another beneficiary farmer. The community people planted two saplings of orange at her homestead garden properly.
As the weather was rainy, the road linking Kathmandu to Kot Timal was treacherous, there was a risk of landslide on the way, and in addition, the farmers were well aware about how to plant the fruit saplings properly, the Pax team did not visit the homestead gardens of other farmers for plantation. The team handed remaining 66 fruit saplings to over 30 farmers with proper instructions for plantation. They have managed to plant all the fruit plants by the next day. However, despite the time limitation, the team could manage a walk-through observation of a few fruit trees planted at the homestead gardens of a few community people in Kot Timal last January. As per the beneficiary farmers, 80 percent of the trees planted in January 2020 have survived. Most of the saplings of apple, pear and kiwi, some saplings of walnut and pecan nut, and a few saplings of persimmon and plum have survived in Kot Timal. It is important to mention that the community people had planted 26 fruit plants in their homestead garden provided under MEE project by Pax Earth in March 2018. Two pear trees have started to bear fruits in Kot Timal. However, due to a fear of transmission of global COVID-19 pandemic, the schools are remained closed. Therefore, the team did not go to plant any fruit plants at any schools during this visit.
The beneficiary farmers have had a chance to interact with expert Upadhyay where they shared the problems regarding plantation, survival, and growth. Upadhyay gave key advices to the inquiring farmers. During the interaction, the community people have humbly asked if Pax Earth can conduct a training on fruit (plants) management so that whole community of Kot Timal would benefit. In response, president Koirala told that Pax Earth will plan to hold a fruit (plants) management training in next December or January. At present, there are nearly 35 beneficiary farmer families under the fruit garden project and the organisation is planning to increase the beneficiary to 50 farmer families in 2020/2021.
Before leaving for Kathmandu, the team could observe the fruit plantation at the homestead garden of Durga Prasad Mainali, a farmer at Kanpur, Kavre, where Pax Earth has been testing some fruit plants over the years. It is quite encouraging that an orange, a kumquat, a guava, and an apple trees have started to bear fruits in his garden. The team have noticed some fruit buds in Rudraksha tree too. The Pax team is incredibly happy and motivated that an honest effort has started to bring results in the form of fruits as apple, guava, kumquat, orange, gooseberry, and pear trees have already started to yield fruits in the schools and Kot Timal.
Most of the fruit saplings such as orange, kumquat, pomelo, and lemon are grafted fruit saplings while avocado and pomegranate are not. The grafted orange, kumquat, pomelo, and lemon plants will bear fruits in 2 to 3 years while avocado and pomegranate plants will bear fruits in 5 to 7 years. In next 3 to 4 years, the organisation will be able to identify which fruit plants are commercially viable for cultivation in Kot Timal. Accordingly, the fruit plants will be arranged for planting. It is certain that many farmers will be able to turn their homestead garden into a beautiful fruit garden in next 3 to 4 years. Once these trees start to yield in a large quantity, Pax Earth will mediate to link the farmers with the market so that they can earn a good money by selling surplus fruits.
Pax Earth believes that the trees help to absorb carbon and reduce global warming. The fruit garden project is a small contribution to this goal. Pax Earth is committed to continue tree plantation on a regular basis in the days ahead to fulfil this goal.
Reported by PEN Secretariat!
Thanksgiving
Pax Earth would like to congratulate the plantation team of the day – president Sujan Koirala, members: Kapil Deuja, Prabin Giri, Dev Raj Karki, and fruit development expert Upadhyay for conducting the tree plantation successfully despite the treacherous roads to Kot Timal, rainy day, COVID-19 threats, and checking at the entry points in Kathmandu. The organisation is quite grateful to fruit development expert Upadhyay not only for his support in arranging fruit saplings but also for his guidance for proper plantation and growth of the trees. Member Deuja deserves a great appreciation for arranging his jeep for bringing the fruit saplings from the Central Horticulture Centre, Kirtipur and also for offering the plantation team a comfortable travel throughout the plantation day regardless of the rains and treacherous roads.
