Banking News – A local agricultural cooperative in Baglung has begun branding and marketing millet and buckwheat flour produced by local farmers, aiming to enhance the value of indigenous agricultural products and improve farmers’ incomes.

The Adan-Pradan Agriculture Cooperative Ltd., based in Rankhani, Ward No. 10 of Jaimini Municipality, has started processing, labeling, packaging, and commercially distributing flour made from locally grown millet and buckwheat.

According to Cooperative Chairman Nandalal Padhyay, the cooperative is processing farmers’ produce into high-quality packaged flour for the market. The initiative became possible after the cooperative received processing equipment with 75 percent financial support from the District Agriculture Development Office, enabling it to begin labeling and packaging operations.

Padhyay said the branding initiative is intended to strengthen the market for local agricultural products while creating sustainable income opportunities for farmers. The cooperative has set the retail price of buckwheat flour at Rs. 260 per kilogram and millet flour at Rs. 160 per kilogram.

In the initial phase, the cooperative has started producing, processing, and packaging flour using 50 kilograms of raw materials. The operation is currently managed by two employees, with active support from the cooperative’s board members and general members.

The cooperative plans to gradually increase production based on the availability of millet and buckwheat harvests and growing market demand.

Despite the initiative, Padhyay acknowledged that marketing remains a key challenge, as locally produced goods generally have higher production costs than mass-produced alternatives. However, the cooperative is optimistic that consumer demand will continue to grow, citing the nutritional value, health benefits, and superior taste of locally produced millet and buckwheat products.