Agriculture
Commercial Sweet Orange Promotion

The Sweet Orange Garden Extension Program (SOGEP) is a major community-based economic growth initiative by the Shree Dip Bahadur Karki Memorial Foundation. This project aligns with the government’s focus on enhancing sweet orange production in Ramechhap and aims to boost improved cultivation, quality production, and marketing. SOGEP is expected to benefit smallholder, marginalized, poor, and women farmers from Sukajor village.
Through this project, the Foundation aims to offer comprehensive support, including seedling distribution, land preparation, orientation on post-harvest loss management, and market connection. This is a long-term project that the Foundation plans to initiate step by step. In the first phase, financial support will be provided to farmers for land preparation, and seedlings will be distributed in close coordination with the ward and municipal offices. Subsequently, in the second phase, a series of training sessions on sweet orange production and proper farm handling will be conducted. Training and orientation on post-harvest management will continue, culminating in market connection coordination with private sectors in the third phase of the project.
The Foundation plans to work with private sectors to offer services to farmers for market connections and post-harvest management through the introduction of post-harvest management tools and techniques. Through SOGEP, the project aims to elevate the economic status of the community and contribute to government objectives of recognizing the district as a super zone for sweet orange production. The first phase of the project is being implemented in 2024/25 with financial support from its donor, Hilfe fur Ramechhap e.V. Germany, while the Foundation seeks additional donors and partners for the second and third phases.
Combating Farming Related Problems​
The Shree Dip Bahadur Karki Memorial Foundation has been proactively addressing various farming-related issues such as Fall Armyworm infestations and challenges in corn farming. The Foundation collaborates closely with its prime donor, Hilfe fur Ramechhap e.V., and other stakeholders to distribute insect control remedies and provide support for these problems.
Additionally, the Foundation actively engages in discussions with the municipal office and local communities regarding agriculture policies, guidelines, and program settings at the ward and municipal levels. It has been lobbying with the local government for farmer-friendly agriculture policies that support production, post-harvest management, value chain management, diversification, and marketing.
