Traffic to expansion of farming in Nepal…

Nepal is a mountainous country, one of the rich country in water resources. Its second round, I have massively moved around the Rupandehi, One of the Terai districts where both the urbanization and mechanization is so rapid which have been leaving significant effect on the farming sector. I got opportunity to meet and experience the commercial farming conditions of the most commercialized vegetable farms ie. Suryapura and Kamhariya Villege Development Committees (VDCs) in Rupandehi district.

Thanks to Mr. Dhaniram Chaidhary, who is working for Jogada VDC as Junior Technicial under One Village One Technical Program, Department of Agriculture (DoA) for his company during the visit.

The farmers expressed the three most important things facing with their vegetable farming business as problems;

i) Scattered land

ii) Irrigation infrastructures, and

iii) Market arrangement including price.

The farmers of the above mentioned are involved in commercial vegetable farming who have lands to cultivate but are scattered in many places ranging from 5 to 30 minutes of walking distance which makes difficulties in the commercial production as well as mechanization and establishment of irrigation facilities eg. Shallow tube well. Most of the famers expressed their views that government has to bring some scheme for land pulling which will be helpful to expand the commercial farming of crops or vegetables.

Picture 1: Mr. Bijay Paasi (right); shows his 16 katthas of vegetables in 6 places

The most important input of agricultural production is irrigation facility which is too sparse, limits the agricultural productivity in the country. It was felt during the visit, out of all the visited farmers, demands for the establishment of irrigation facility. They could increase their vegetable production year round if they were given with a small shallow tube-well driven by diesel pump set (5HP) and delivery pipes.

Picture 2 : shallow tube-well of Parashuram Kewat, Suryapura-5, Baluhawa as temporary source of irrigation

The farmers also expressed bitter experience that the market price of their produce (vegetables) is unpredictable telling the story of price of cauliflower that the price of cauliflower per kilograms was above Rs. 25 two weeks ahead which has been dropped down to Rs. 15 in wholesales. However, the consumer are spending about Rs. 30 rupees per kilogram in the market. The farmers demand the forecast of the price of the commodity price so that they could plan for the upcoming season.

In conclusion, the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD), Department of Agriculture (DoA) and District Agricultural Development Offices based in the districts are being involved in the expansion of agricultural technologies and provide very small physical infrastructure to support in the real field, from government sides. The twin facilities like land pulling and/or land clustering; and provision of year-round irrigation facility could contribute agricultural commercialization, significantly. Therefore, the government as well as development partners has to contribute in this direction.

Mr. Ghanashyam Chaudhary

Skype: Ghanashyam.chaudhary