An agriculture market in Attariya, Kaialali, has emerged as one of the largest integrated agriculture markets in the country.

Attariya Regional Agriculture Market, which began as local market 15 years ago, and was developed into a regional market 10 years ago has seen massive expansion over the years. The market is spread across three bighas eight katthas.

There are 80 stalls selling agriculture products. Every stall has private trucks to deliver vegetables. About 1,000 people have been directly employed.

Besides collecting vegetables, the market also has a milk collection and processing centre with a capacity of 9,000 litres. As many as 200 trucks transport agriculture products to and from the market. The products are supplied to Kanchanpur, Bardiya, Banke and Dang and even bordering Indian towns. 

“Vegetables worth up to Rs4.5 million is sold every day in the market,” said Nanda Lal Bhatta, president of the Market Management Committee. “We had not thought the market would grow to such a big scale.”

There is also a seed centre inside the market that offers quality seeds to farmers. “Every vegetable is available here in all seasons, except for potato and onion,” claimed Bhatta. “As the market does not have a cold store, we have not been able to make available onion and potato throughout the year.”

He, however, said the problem is likely to be over very soon. “A cold store is being constructed with an investment of Rs17.5 million,” said Bhatta.

The committee said it also plans to set up a biological fertiliser centre, food collection centre, meat market and Farmers FM station, but the plan has been delayed due to the lack of adequate land.

An increasing number of farmers also make observation trips to the market. As many as 112 farmers’ groups visited the market this year,” said Ram Chandra Awasthi, a local. “Many don’t believe the market was developed with very little investment.”