Two decades ago; The farmers of Palpa’s Tinau, Satyavati, Rainadevi Chhahara and other places were not able to eat even six months from traditional farming in Pakho Bari.
Bari’s Kanla and Khoria had green butyans but they didn’t mean much. People picked and chewed the green leaves of the plant. Nothing was known except that the plant was tejpata.
It was only two decades ago that they discovered that the bark of the spreading tejpaat plant in their neighborhood is sold as cinnamon and its leaves as a spice.
Tejpat say that Sinkauli; Cauliflower, cinnamon or teji, whatever it is, the plant is the same.
As soon as they found out, they started conservation and cultivation of Tejpat plants. Their incomes have increased over the years, their routines have changed. They are into commercial use of bay leaves and cinnamon.
Farmers of Tinau and Rainadevi Chhahara, two rural municipalities in the south-west region of Palpa district, which are close to Butwal, have now abandoned grain crops and are now focusing on tejpat and cinnamon.
Prem Shrestha, president of Tinau Rural Municipality, says, ‘Farmers have been excited since Tejpat and cinnamon, which were sold sporadically in the Butwal market, have started to be sold in the Indian market. In turn, the income and standard of living of the farmers have also changed after the export of this wasted tejpaat and cinnamon.