Chait 25, Rolpa – Millet produced in Lungri Rural Municipality of Rolpa has been shipped to Kathmandu for sale for the first time. The Social Entrepreneur Women’s Cooperative operating in Lungri Rural Municipality collected millet produced from seven wards within the municipality and sent it out of the district on Tuesday. The cooperative had gathered around 80 quintals of millet. Of this, approximately 10 quintals, equal to 1,000 kg, were sold in the local market, while the remaining 70 quintals, or 7,000 kg, were dispatched to Kathmandu, informed Bhumi Bishw, Chairperson of Lungri Social Entrepreneur Women’s Cooperative.
“Nepali Mato Company purchased the millet from the cooperative at a rate of 70 Nepali Rupees per kg and transported it to Kathmandu,” said Bishw. “We have exported millet worth NPR 490,000 outside the district for the first time.” The cooperative and Nepali Mato Company had signed an agreement for the purchase and sale of millet in Mangsir 2082 (November-December 2025).
The good price received for this indigenous millet has encouraged local farmers. Yamkumari Bishw, a local farmer, expressed that the guarantee of selling their produce locally has motivated them to increase production. She also noted that the weekly agricultural market held every Tuesday in the municipality makes it easier for farmers to sell their agricultural products.
“Earlier, we were worried about where to take our produce for sale, but now it has become much easier,” she said. Bharat Kumar Thapa, Chairperson of Lungri Rural Municipality, stated that they aim to brand the millet and expand it to international markets. He considers the growing demand for Rolpa millet in Kathmandu as a positive sign, especially at a time when the production of indigenous crops is declining. He also shared the municipality’s vision to create a brand for Lungri’s millet and reach global markets.
In addition to increasing millet production, the municipality plans to run programs focusing on the promotion and production of other indigenous crops, as outlined in their strategic points. Bhupendra Pandey, Chief of the Agriculture Section in Lungri Rural Municipality, informed that millet produced by around 100 farmers has been sent to Kathmandu. He added that the municipality will emphasize providing necessary tools, orientation training, seeds, and technical support to farmers to increase millet production.
According to data from the Agriculture Knowledge Center Rolpa, the district produces about 1,700 metric tons of millet annually. The highest production occurs in the rural municipalities of Sunchahari, Lungri, Gangadev, Paribartan, and Sunilsmriti.
