• OpenAccess
    • List of Articles Ram Mandal

      • Open Access Article

        1 - Assessing Cost Effective Management Options of Eichhornia crassipes in Ecotourism Ramsar Sites, Nepal
        Ram Asheshwar Mandal Pramod Kumar Jha Nir Krakaue Ajay Jha Tarendra Lakhankar
        Ecotourism is growing business in Nepal due to domestic and international visitors. Specifically, natural lakes in Ramsar sites are very potential avenues for boating, scenic beauty and study the aquatic ecosystem. However Eichhornia crassipes has been threatening the b More
        Ecotourism is growing business in Nepal due to domestic and international visitors. Specifically, natural lakes in Ramsar sites are very potential avenues for boating, scenic beauty and study the aquatic ecosystem. However Eichhornia crassipes has been threatening the beauty, ecosystem and eco-tourism business. This research was objectively carried out to explore income generation from ecotourism and determine socio-economic management of Eichhornia crassipes for manure or biobriquette. Four Ramsar sites namely Beeshazari, Maipokhari, Lakes Clusters of Pokhara and Jagdishpur Lakes were selected for the study. Data were collected through expert consultation organizing four workshops, direct observation and sampling. Meanwhile record of manpower, removal cost and utilization of Eichhornia crassipes were also collected. Affected sites of Eichhornia crassipes were calculated analyzing the current image of Google earth pro using ArcGIS. Samples were collected establishing sixty plots of 1m×1m and these were analyzed. Altogether about US$ 785260 was earned from tourism business between 2011 to 2015. The highest income was generated about US$ 397500 between 2011 to 2015 from visitors of Lakes of Pokhara. Removal cost of Eichhornia crassipes was the highest about US$ 108.09 ha-1 of Beeshazari Lakes in 2015. Farmers could save cost about US$ 31931 using Eichhornia crassipes as manure and that could be nearly US$ 38315 for biobriquette in 2015. The B/C ratio, NPV and Profit Index could be nearly 6.13, 96059.91 and 7175.11 using Eichhornia crassipes of Beeshazari Lakes as manure while 4.81, 105868.50 and 12415.63 using it as biobriquette. The study could contribute design the ecotourism policy. Manuscript profile
      • Open Access Article

        2 - Organic Farming: Opportunities and Challenges in Sundarbazar, Lamjung, Nepal
        Anzali Gurung Ram Asheshwar Mandal Ajay Mathema
        This study was objectively done to assess the practice of organic farming and employment opportunities, compare the income generated from organic and inorganic products and identify the problems faced by farmers from organic farming system. Semi structure questionnaire More
        This study was objectively done to assess the practice of organic farming and employment opportunities, compare the income generated from organic and inorganic products and identify the problems faced by farmers from organic farming system. Semi structure questionnaire survey, questionnaire, key informant interview and market survey were done to collect primary data and these were analyzed. The result showed that, total 137 and 99 employments were created by organic and inorganic farming. The organic farmers use the compost but the inorganic farmers used the chemical fertilizers. Liquid extracted from garlic and Azadirachta indica was used as pesticides in organic farming. The highest price difference was. US$ 0.18 for cucumber i.e, while the price difference for organic cauliflower was US$ 0.09. Similarly, the price difference of broccoli was only US$ 0.04. But the organic and inorganic price of cabbage, spinach, garlic, coriander and radish were recorded US$ 0.43, US$ 0.09, US$ 1.30, US$ 0.09 and US$ 0.43 respectively. Rich organic farmers were earning US$ 8677.54 annually this was US$ 2603.26 by rich inorganic farmers. Similarly, medium organic farmers and inorganic farmers were earning US$ 3123.92 and US$ 1561.96 respectively while poor organic and inorganic farmers are earning US$ 650.82 and US$ 433.88 respectively. Unavailable of good seeds, lack of organic fertilizer, slow production in initial year, lack of government support, irrigation, price difference, haphazard use of fertilizers and pesticides were recorded as the major problems in organic and inorganic farming. This study will be useful to develop the policy. Manuscript profile