Naichal, Bhaktapur 19th May 2016 Beneficiary feedback Naichal, Bhaktapur 19th May 2016

The Good People gave two reasons for interest in growing herbs; more money and for medicinal value; and they can be grown on various types of land and soil quality; People were glad to learn more about herbs and especially wild herbs; it was pointed out that wild herbs could increase incomes; the importance about identifying correct herbs was raised; People liked the idea of a local community mobiliser as this would make communication easier;

The Good (continued) Follow-up training and technical support were valued. People felt knowledge could be forgotten so a refresher is useful. Would like to receive ongoing technical inputs if people had concerns; and people said they would like to know how to improve soil quality and how to plant herbs; People felt Herb Nepal was more secure than middleman due to technical training and support; and that middleman just look for their own profits.

The Bad The only suggestion to the programme was that Herb Nepal could organise collection and transportation of herbs;

The unexpected During the ‘Drama for Farmer’ session while the Organic Champion applied Comfrey packs the level of positive engagement and interest in learning from participants was clearly demonstrated; There was a curiosity about market prices in the group; people where unsure about where they could take herbs or sell them; People shared their experiences about using middlemen, and reported that they felt vulnerable at the market and that the middleman would take advantage of this.

The unexpected (continued) People felt that small cash payments from Herb Nepal was manageable but they felt vulnerable carrying larger amounts of money; they advised that a mobile phone payment or cheque would be preferable in this case.

What next? A value chain analysis will be conducted in each area which will highlight the potential for Herb Nepal to have a localised herbal collection centre; an analysis is currently taking place in Timal for this same purpose. A farmer-led participatory feedback mechanism will be created as part of the SC programme.