Mr. Karna Hamal, an inhabitant of Tila Rural Municipality ward no. 3, has been working for growing organic agriculture since he completes the high school level formal educatoin in 2066. He has two son and one daughter. Elder son has got married and has got a baby girl where another has gone abroad for work. Living as farmer in Jumla is associated with many struggles such as low income, limited access to the resources and opportunity for capacity development is rare. Karna is in his age of 49 years, spends more than 25 years in this farming field but was never happy with the livelihood he gained. Apple and walnut orchard is the main occupation of living. Being apple a leading income source in Jumla it never contributed for better income due to the lack of proper management of post harvest stuff. During 2022 he heard about the MITO walnut project being implemented in Jumla and was later in 2023 enrolled as Local Resource Person by Surya Social Service Society 4S Jumla. This opened access to a learning platform for him where he could get many opportunities like on farm trainings, exposures, technologies to be a skillful farmer as well as a local resource person for his community.

Now, He is well known as local resource person for walnut grafting, nursery management and walnut production in Tila Rural Municipality. The local government has also availing his services in this sector. As a local resource person, he has been facilitating farmers schools in collaboration with MITO project and other NGOs in Jumla. He earns regular income from selling of grafted walnut saplings and fresh apple. He has got about 800 nursery saplings produced annually. The price he sold last was 500 per sapling. The annual income from this becomes about Npr. 1000,000. He has also trained many other walnut farmers of ocal groups. Mr. Chetra Mahat is one of them who is also very actively earning from the nursery and walnut in Tatopani Rural Municipality. He feels proud to be the one who is leading the walnut production filed in the rural community by learning and contributing for up scaling.

Mr. Hamal is very thankful to the MITO Helvetas and 4S Jumla for this opportunity and expresses his keen interest to further contribute this field by sharing ideas through social media. As he is now well known for resource person, he gets connected with local resources and gets chance for better earning.

Karna Hamal Local Resource Person (MITO Project)
Kudari, Tila RM, Jumla, Phone: 9864147942