Kanepokhari Rural Municipality in Morang is already known for its mustard farming. During winter, the golden fields of mustard make the area look beautiful. But now, the village is trying to add a new identity, becoming a center for producing organic gundruk (fermented leafy greens).
Two years ago, the local government launched a campaign called “Aama ko Sip Santanlai, Organic Gundruk Moranglai”. The plan was to produce and sell gundruk made from mustard leaves. The municipality even provided seeds and fertilizer to farmers. However, due to delays in seed distribution, the mustard production did not go as expected, and gundruk output also suffered.
Still, Chairperson Ramwati Ingnam and Ward Chairperson Sushil Budhathoki didn’t give up. They invited the private sector to join hands. The Small Farmers Agricultural Cooperative in Keroun took the lead, and the plan was approved. With support from the Provincial Government, the Swiss-funded Sahaj Project, and the rural municipality, the cooperative has now prepared for commercial gundruk production.
According to cooperative chairperson Sabita Rai, “We’ve already set up a packaging industry. Only a drying machine is missing. We’ve done test production using a micro machine.”
The project has received Rs 24 lakh from the Sahaj Project, Rs 18 lakh from the Province, and Rs 18 lakh from the cooperative itself. The municipality is providing technical support, while Sahaj is helping with business training and market connections.
The cooperative has 719 shareholder members. They planted mustard on three bighas of land and produced about 1,000 kilos of mustard. “The demand for gundruk was overwhelming, but we couldn’t keep up with production,” Rai said.
This year, they produced 10 kilos for testing and received approval from the Food Technology and Quality Control Department. The gundruk was sold at Rs 1,000 per kilo. Last year, homemade gundruk sold for Rs 700 per kilo, but the packaged version will now be priced at Rs 2,000 per kilo.
Originally focused only on gundruk production, the project now includes packaging, branding, and connecting cooperatives with other organizations. Ward Chairperson Budhathoki said the goal is to create jobs for locals, increase farmers’ income, and promote mustard-based gundruk as a commercial product.
When the project first started, many people laughed at the idea. “Some even mocked it as a useless project and called us the ‘Gundruk Municipality’,” Budhathoki said. “But today, we’ve proved them wrong.”
The cooperative now aims to produce 2,000 to 2,500 kilos of gundruk each mustard season. They also plan to make dried bitter gourd, potato chips, and masyaura (dried lentil balls) during the off-season.
However, the cooperative still needs a drying machine. The provincial government had allocated Rs 7 lakh for it last year, but the budget got frozen because it was unclear whether the municipality or the cooperative would handle the purchase. The machine must be imported from China.
“There’s high demand for gundruk, but without the dryer, our production is limited,” Rai said. “Once we get it, we’ll expand our production significantly.” The cooperative has already sold 300–400 kilos of homemade gundruk to buyers in Kathmandu and also plans to start mustard oil packaging soon.
The rural municipality plans to buy the dryer, set up a processing plant, and give more training to farmers. It also aims to focus on branding and marketing local products.
It takes about 16 to 17 kilos of raw mustard greens to make one kilo of dried gundruk. During the winter months, raw mustard leaves cost Rs 35–40 per kilo. The cooperative plans to expand mustard farming to six bighas of land this season. From three bighas last year, they produced about 1,000 kilos of gundruk, earning a small profit after covering costs.
Gundruk production has been a local tradition in Kanepokhari for generations. “Before, we only made it for home use and had little access to markets,” Rai said. “But now, this project has given us the chance to process and sell our gundruk commercially.”
