Myagdi, May 18: The National Agricultural Modernization Project Jomsom, has started using ‘bio-solution’ as an alternative to pesticides to control pests and diseases in fruit crops. The project active in Myagdi, Mustang, Baglung and Parbat has named the biological solution prepared from a mixture of local herbs and grasses as ‘Epiphytic Lactic Acid Bacteria’.
Project chief Bharatraj Gautam said that the biological solution, which was tested in the office’s apple orchard last year, has been used in the apple orchards of Mustang farmers from this year. Farmers are being encouraged to use organic solutions because they are healthy, environmentally friendly, save on the cost of buying pesticides, and can be prepared locally.
The project aims to make apples completely organic by replacing chemical pesticide imports in Mustang. Last year, 75 farmers and this year, 85 apple farmers were trained in making bio-solution as organic fertilizer.
A commercial agricultural production and processing center (zone) have been established with the help of the project for apples, mountain goats and potatoes in Mustang, oranges, potatoes and pigs in Myagdi, and oranges in , Parbat and Baglung. The project is helping in expanding farming, improving quality, increasing production and marketing.
