Bandipur, famously known as the “Queen of the Hills,” has started welcoming visitors with traditional local delicacies as part of its hospitality. The Bandipur Rural Municipality has prioritized the preservation of traditional crops, making it easier to offer authentic local dishes to tourists.
With the cultivation of mustard, millet, buckwheat, taro, greens, lentils, and other crops, the municipality has been continuously supporting farmers through grant programs aimed at increasing income and preserving traditional farming practices. These local products have become popular among both domestic and international tourists, prompting Bandipur Rural Municipality to further promote them, according to Chairman Surendra Thapa.
The grant programs, aimed at increasing farmers’ incomes, include subsidies for seeds, machinery, technical knowledge, and marketing support. This year, the municipality has allocated funds for various crops: NPR 300,000 for mustard, NPR 250,000 for lentils, and NPR 600,000 for millet. Additionally, NPR 1 million has been earmarked for machinery tools such as mills and presses, which will help farmers process their crops efficiently.
Chairman Thapa also mentioned that an additional NPR 600,000 has been set aside for beekeeping, allowing farmers to earn double income by integrating beekeeping with mustard cultivation. He explained, “Many farmers stopped growing millet and mustard due to the lack of milling facilities, so we have introduced subsidies for machinery to encourage them to resume cultivation. This will help prevent land from remaining fallow and preserve traditional crops.”
The municipality has invited cooperatives and farmers’ groups to participate in the program, aiming to make the region self-sufficient in mustard, lentils, and millet. A souvenir house in Bandipur has also been set up to sell these organic products, adding another attraction for tourists.
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