Prashant Khadka

March 23: The pickle production that Hajuri Bista started from her household kitchen 28 years ago has now found its market in Europe. Her Nawras and kitchen recipes have started selling abroad. Bista informed that 90 percent of the total production is sold in Nepal whereas 10 percent is exported to European countries as well as America and Japan.

Win Multipurpose Cooperative Limited is responsible for the sales of pickles in Nepal. It sends pickles for sale in Bhatbhateni, Big Mart and Salesberry. While on the other hand, exporters purchase and export the pickles abroad. Her industry produces pickles of various varieties like fish, meat, chili, radish, Indian gooseberry, cucumber, mango, dried spinach, lemon, plums, etc.

Packaged pickles are available in jars of 500gm to 1kg in the market. The labeling on the package displays ingredients used in the pickles with no usage of chemicals and the price of pickles depend on the nature of the pickle. The cost of pickles ranges from Rs 150 to Rs 1000 depending on the ingredients used.

When Bista started this business, the consumption of imported pickles was high since there was no variety of Nepali pickles in the market. Win Multipurpose Cooperative Limited gave training for pickle production to a group of women, targeting the then pickle market of Nepal.

Hajuri Bista started this business alone in her own house located at Dhobighat, Lalitpur. At present, this business has employed 22 workers. While the investment of the business has hit Rs 60 million, the business involves annual transaction of Rs 20 million. Bista informed that in the process of extending business, her daughter Hima and son-in-law Rituraj Pandey even brought a restaurant named Achar Ghar into operation, where the pickles produced by Bista are used.

Bista shared, “I did not start this business due to shortage of money. I started this business with the aim to do something by myself.” She expressed that it is not difficult to attain success if one is able to treat all kinds of professions equally.

She shared her past saying, “I was married at the age of 17 while I was still studying. My husband went to Paris for his PhD after marriage, where I accompanied him. After spending 7 years abroad, my husband started teaching profession at Tribhuvan University and I started to make pickles.”

Despite people talking behind her back about the daughter of sociologist Dor Bahadur Bista making pickles, she paid no attention to their remarks. “Instead, I used to go around the neighborhood carrying pickles in a bag and asking people to taste and buy them,” she expressed happily, adding, “Due to my trust and persistence, I even got the opportunity to travel to countries like India, China, and Bangladesh. I was even awarded by the government as the Best Female Entrepreneur.”

Many people have established their own businesses after getting inspiration from her. Which is why, she is still full of enthusiasm despite reaching the age of 66 years.