'Increse use of ICT in agriculture'

Lalitpur, Jan. 10: Stakeholders have suggested increasing application of information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture and livestock business, and value chain development in order to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their products.

Farmers should be enabled with better linkage to the market, modern tools and equipment and the latest technology, Dr. Chandramani Adhikari, an economist, said in a ‘Policy Workshop: Goat sub-sector in Nepal’, organised by Heifer International Nepal.

He said that although there had been much discussion about developing commercial agriculture, sector-wise development strategies were yet to be developed.

Rishi Kumar Dhakal of the Federation of Nepal Goat Farm Entrepreneurs said that farmers were facing challenges in obtaining loans from the banks and financial institution, as well as in insuring their livestock.

“Only the expansion of ICT to the rural areas can empower the farmers with the latest and reliable information about the techniques of farming, market situation and price of their goods in different market areas in the country and abroad,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer of Agro Enterprise Centre at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Pradip Maharjan was critical of the government for turning a deaf ear to the private sector demands.

According to him, the private sector has been raising the issue of contract farming continuously for a decade, but the government has failed to respond to the demand.

He also said that although Nepal had better policies in the agriculture sector, the implementation part was very poor with only about 15 per cent of the policies being implemented.

Dr. Bimal Kumar Nirmal, Director General of the Department of Livestock Service, said that goat rearing had immense potential in the country as meat worth billions of rupees was being imported every year.