Pakhribas needs more scientists

Dhankuta, Sept. 21: The Agricultural Research Station (ARS) at Pakhribas of Dhankuta district is witnessing a dearth of scientists, which has affected its output in generating technologies for agricultural support. 

The station is now running with only three scientists.

According to the station chief, Hari Kumar Prasain, the station of such a stature needs about 20-25 scientists, but currently it has posts for only 14 scientists. 

While it was being managed by the British, there used to be about 60 high-skilled scientists and technicians.

The ARS at Pakhribas was established in 1972 by the British as a training centre to impart knowledge on agriculture and livestock farming to the ex-military servicemen of the British Army who hailed from the eastern hills of Nepal. 

It came under the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) in 1998.

 “It’s been many years since the station has been running without sufficient number of scientists. We could have functioned better had the government deployed 14 scientists here,” said Prasain.

Ten hill and mountain districts of  the eastern part of the country – Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam, Dhankuta, Terhathum, Sankhuasabha, Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu – are the command areas of the station. 

It is mandated to generate technologies for increasing the production and productivity of crops, vegetables, fruits, plantation crops and livestock for different agro-ecological zones of the eastern hills of Nepal.

But a shortage of skilled human resources has badly affected the works in the field of pathology related to diseases and insects, agronomy, plant breeding and animal science. 

“We are unable to allocate scientists and senior technicians to all the divisions in the station. But the condition is more serious at the other stations. Some of them are running with only one scientist,” stated Prasain.

There are 61 research stations across the country, and they are managed by NARC.

The Pakhribas ARS has developed the famous ‘black pig’ (Dharane Kalo Bangur), Giriraj chicken, Boer goat, various species of large cardamom, wheat and many other products related to agriculture and livestock. 

“We are currently working on cereals, goats, pigs, hens, cardamom and ginger. We are applying tissue culture technology in cardamom to produce disease-free plants,” said LB Magar, administrative officer at the station.

The station has also forged collaboration with international organisations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the development of science. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supported it in developing the Boer goat. 

But most of the activities are affected by the absence of the required number of scientists.

Principal scientist at the NARC Dr. Yagya Prasad Giri said that only 400 scientists are working at all the agricultural centres across the country.  

The number of appointments at the NARC has been the same for the last 26 years. Although the main agricultural body has urged the government many times, all has been in vain.

According to Dr. Giri, there are fewer chances of the government fulfilling the vacant posts for scientists. 

The research body is also facing a brain drain due to poor facilities for the scientists and high-skilled human resources working with it.

“More than 50 per cent of the skilled manpower has left the country in search of higher education, better training, jobs and better earnings," Giri said. 

Published in The Rising Nepal Daily, on September 22, 2017.