Kaligandaki: The Kaligandaki Rural Municipality in Syangja has embarked on an innovative project, producing handicraft items from banana fiber. This initiative is in collaboration with Gandaki Province as part of a project aimed at the commercial utilization of local raw materials under the Innovation Partnership Agriculture Programme.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the project is funded with 70 percent investment from the province and 30 percent from the rural municipality. Anup Poudel, the agriculture officer of the rural municipality, stated that a 45-day training program was provided to participants to enhance commercialization efforts. The training has enabled seven women to regularly create handicraft items using banana fiber.
To support this endeavor, banana plants have been distributed to farmers free of charge, as the banana stem is essential for fiber production. The rural municipality has also been purchasing the waste banana stems at a fixed price after the fruit is harvested, with the stem prices ranging from Rs 25 to Rs 45 per piece. This initiative is designed to empower local farmers by providing them with banana seedlings based on demand, with a total of 20,000 seedlings distributed so far.
Khim Bahadur Thapa, chairperson of the rural municipality, highlighted that various handicraft items are being produced by processing the banana stalks. The project demonstrates a successful model of utilizing local resources to foster economic development and support local artisans and farmers.