After spending a decade working in South Korea, two brothers from Chapakot in Syangja—Uttam Acharya and Birendra Acharya—have returned to their hometown and launched an agricultural venture called Siddhababa Agro Farm and Research Center. They have invested their overseas earnings into buffalo farming in their own village.
Siddhababa Farm, which was started in 2073 BS, has now established itself as one of the largest buffalo farms in Gandaki Province. Acharya Brothers, who had invested their skills and money they earned in Korea for ten years, now have 67 Gujarati and Murrah buffaloes.
Currently, the farm is producing 185 to 200 liters of milk daily. According to the Acharya brothers, they are using modern animal husbandry technology they learned about during their experience in Korea. In addition, they are generating additional income by selling cow dung and urine as organic fertilizers.
After their return from Korea, the two initially started the hotel business in Kathmandu but later came back to their village and started a hardware business and buffalo farming. “So far, more than Rs 30 million has been invested in the farm. At the beginning of the operation, Siddhababa had 25% investment each from the World Bank and the Government of Nepal, while we invested the remaining 50%,” they said. “While 10 people have been directly employed on the farm, many more have been indirectly employed.”
Birendra Acharya shared that he works diligently on the farm each day. He explained that his routine starts early in the morning with collecting and packaging milk, delivering it to local homes, and using any unsold milk to make cheese. Acharya emphasized that they chose this path because they believe every young person should strive to build a future within their own country.
“We had a good life in Korea at one time. It is good to go abroad and gain experience, but not to stay there. Our country and soil are our own. That is why we returned and are now investing in our own villages. If we can invest in the agricultural sector, we can do good in the country,” Acharya brothers said in unison.
Currently, many youths of Chapakot are being attracted to agriculture due to their work. They believe that if the local bodies and the state encourage agricultural enterprises and make it dignified, many will find a future in it. “Farmers who are looking for a future in the country feel that the state does not provide enough incentives. Sometimes buffaloes get diseases like milk fever, but buffalo insurance and health treatment are not free. Although many other municipalities provide subsidies ranging from NRs 2 to 15 per liter of milk, Chapakot Municipality doesn’t have such a provision. We need to think about this,” shared Acharya brothers.
