Khagraj Krishi grows red and yellow capsicums using hydroponic method. The capsicum plants are grown in cocopeat from the seedling stage until maturity. They get all the nutrients needed to grow into healthy fruits through drip irrigation.
Products are available in following retail locations:
Khagraj Krishi greenhouse is located in Teraute Tole of Ghorahi Sub-metropolitan City in Lumbini Province. The greenhouse is climate-controlled using sophisticated modern technology, making it possible to maintain the optimal temperature and humidity for growing our produce.
Our dedicated team at Khagraj Krishi is committed to producing the best quality capsicum, grown with care and expertise.
Chairperson
Mohana Lohani was born and raised in Kathmandu. Her professional experience encompasses working at Nepal Indosuez Bank, VLS Systems and Executive Director at Cotiviti (previously known as Veracend and D2Hawkeye). Recently she was a member of the board of directors at Bank of Kathmandu before its merger with Global IME Bank.
Founder & CEO
Pranab Lohani was born and raised in Kathmandu and spent his childhood Dashain and winter holidays in Ghorahi. After finishing his high school education from Budhanilkantha School, he obtained a degree in Finance & Entrepreneurship from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. He has 15 years of experience as an investment analyst in finance and investing in San Francisco and New York, USA. After returning to Nepal, he started Khagraj Krishi Udhyog. He oversees the overall running of the firm from growing, marketing & operations. Pranab serves on the board of Budhanilkantha School Endowment Fund (BSEF).
Grower & Operations Manager
Champhilal was born and raised in Dhaireni Tole, Hapur in Ghorahi. He is the first member of his family to pass SLC/SEE and has finished Bachelor’s in Business Studies from Padmodaya Campus, Ghorahi, Dang. In 2018, while still studying for his Bachelors, he was awarded a training opportunity to work and study at a greenhouse in Ramat Negev International Training Center For Advanced Agriculture in Kmehin, Israel. After returning from Israel he worked as the grower and manager in a vegetable farm in his hometown for 3 years. He joined Khagraj Krishi in August, 2022. Champhilal is responsible for growing and managing operations in Ghorahi.
Grower Assistant
Originally from Kewari in Rolpa, Bishnu worked for fifteen years in a commercial apple and tomato farm in Himachal Pradesh, India. After she moved back with her family to Nepal, she settled in Ghorahi Dang. She started working in the greenhouse as a day laborer during the foundation construction phase. Then, she was involved in various aspects of the assembly of the greenhouse. She has been working as a full-time employee since October, 2022.
Recipes prepared with red and yellow capsicum instead of green capsicum have deeper flavor and higher nutrition contents. Whether Chicken Chilli or Veg Pizza, it tastes much much better if prepared with red and yellow capsicum.
A little story before the recipe: As an undergraduate at Wharton in Philadelphia, I began cooking because I couldn’t satisfy my craving for dal bhat, so beloved of the Nepali palate. But my culinary skills were dismal at first – a simple chicken to accompany plain rice seemed the best option to begin with.
I experimented with various ingredients to prepare a jhol to go with the rice. After a year of different iterations of ingredients, in my third year of university, I created a dish that not only satisfied my craving for bhat, but also became popular among my friends.
The jhol got its characteristic flavor from Nepali timmur paired with red capsicum. My non-Nepali friends asked what the dish was called. Chicken Tikka Masala? Chicken Vindaloo? Chicken Adobo?
But this was not anything they had known before from my home in the world. This was flavored with the nostalgia for a deeply personal place, with memories of the autumn skies of Dashain and winter sun in Ghorahi.
And so I named it Ghorahi Chicken, after my ancestral hometown. Lo and behold – nearly two decades later, I am back in Ghorahi, growing, as my second career, the same red capsicum that once brought me the flavors of home in a distant land.
Khagraj Krishi Udhyog Pvt. Ltd. is named after Khagraj Lohani, the grandfather of the founder.
Khagraj Lohani was a pioneering farmer in Dang, who introduced new farming techniques. He was the first to use a tractor, create artificial dams to collect irrigation water for winter crops by utilizing water pumps etc. He started a rice and oil mill to process local crops to directly serve his customers.
Apart from agriculture, Khagraj Lohani also shaped the development of his village and the district of Dang. Along with his friends and contemporaries, he was involved in establishing Rapti Medical Institution, the first hospital in the region. Similarly, the first college in Dang, Padmodaya Campus, the first primary school in the village, Bangaun School, and the road connecting the Dang Valley to Lamahi and further to the border town of Koilabaas all bear the legacy of his efforts to better his community.
Khagraj Lohani’s greatest strength was his belief that we ourselves have to do the work necessary to realize our vision, without waiting for help from the government. He believed that when the people exercise their agency, they can build their collective dreams into reality.
Twenty five years since his retirement, and six years since he passed away, he is still remembered fondly by his community for his untiring vision, his tenacity in the face of adversities, and his resilience. At Khagraj Krishi, we strive to emulate his spirit and continue on the path of service, innovation and persistence which he has shown us through his work.