Gulmi, Jan. 13 -- Neither winter nor monsoon determines the pace of work here.

Farmers do not have to wait for a fixed crushing season either. Sugarcane juice pressed at the right time is cooked into molasses that lasts the whole year, and that molasses is further refined into jaggery as needed. The finished product rarely needs storage.

Gulmi's "Thorgeli Jaggery," named after the village of Thorga, renowned for its sugarcane, has already carved out its own identity in the market, enjoying steady demand throughout the year. With no serious marketing constraints, sugarcane farming in the area is becoming increasingly attractive to farmers.

Cholanath Gyawali, a sugarcane farmer, in ward 3 of Rurukshetra Rural Municipality, has been growi...