Kathmandu, Sept. 30
Minister for
Agriculture and Livestock Chakra Pani Khanal has pointed towards the need for
creating model agriculture projects across the country to demonstrate the
adoption and efficient use of modern technology in increasing productivity.
“We must implement some pilot projects to create model agriculture
learning centres in the country. The agriculture sector will not get better if
we continue to do what we are doing now,” he said at an interaction on
‘Adoption of innovative technology in agriculture in Nepal’ organised jointly
by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and
Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (SEJON).
Minister Khanal said that Nepal already lagged behind other countries in
transferring technology in the farm sector and the large number of small holder
farmers is practising the traditional farming methods.
“All the stakeholders,
including the government and private sector organisations must work to reduce
the production cost or brand the product as ‘organic’ to charge high prices,”
he said.
“The farmers at the
lower rung in the society must feel that agriculture also has power to
transform their economic status and lifestyle. The government is ready to work
with the private sector in taking the technology to those farmers,” the
minister added.
According to him, the
poor or lower-middle class farmers are producing food and vegetables just
enough to meet the need of their families which leaves them with almost no
extra earning and thus forced to migrate from this profession.
However, he maintained
that in order to develop the farm sector the work style of the government
agencies, currently used technologies and some of the policies must be changed.
Minister Khanal assured
the private sector that the government was ready to develop favourable policy
regime and required procedure to facilitate the suitable technology transfer to
uplift the agricultural sector.
Presenting a paper on
the current situation of agriculture in Nepal, Senior Agriculture Economist at
the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Rudra Bahadur Shrestha said that the
country had negligible investment and incentives in innovative technologies.
“Nepal has only zero to
15 per cent incentives on innovative technology while developed countries have
up to 45 per cent,” he said.
According to him, lack
of improved varieties of seed and quality chemical fertilizers, poor
post-harvest management and labour productivity, and small size of commercial
farming were the major challenges in Nepal.
“Farmers are having
25-40 per cent post-harvest loss which needs immediate attention,” he said.
Similarly, per hectare
productivity is 3.5 tons which can be increased to 6 tons per ha in terms of
food and 14 ton in terms of vegetables.
Shrestha said that
although the Agriculture Development Strategy 2015 had the provision for
innovation and development in the sector,
no progress towards achieving it was made.
FNCCI President Bhawani
Rana said that lack of irrigation, research and development, proper market
development, seed supply and technology facility were the major challenges that
Nepali farmers were facing.
Chief Executive Officer
of the EYC Labs Tyler Marshall suggested the government to make the soil
testing facility free.
“Use centralised mobile
application, develop community market place and apply the best growing
practices,” he recommended.
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