How can we shape our future agriculture in Nepal?

 Nepal has gifted for diverse geography and natural resources. The awesome himalayas to mountains to plains are not only eye soothing, but also an efficient reserve of diverse climate and biodiversity. In addition, these reserves have potential to support our agriculture system.

Going through the ancient history to till date, the way to sustain daily life throughout the all geographic areas are Agriculture and nature is favouring agriculture in all aspects. The practice of farming is inheriting to generation after generation over all areas . The abundance of natural resource and climatic variations over himalayas to plain areas within same time frame is favouring Nepalese agriculture to become a diverse farming system.  Considering all the natural abundances and our way to sustain daily life through agriculture since long history, we supposed to be in a successful position in agricultural development. Unfortunately, we could not explore our potential to optimum level yet. 

Photo: recent map of Nepal, Source: Aashish Bhattarai's blog

Photo: Geographic regions shown in map, source: Researchgate

However, since we are agricultural country, we do not have very efficient, productive and quality agriculture system. Though,  it does not mean a failure, it mean we still can explore our potential. 

Transformation is not always easy and quick, it takes time but will give a beautiful result. Similarly, because of many constraints, Nepalese agriculture is facing constraints in growth since very long time.  Now Nepalese agricultural system is trying to transitioning to better system.  Here I am expressing my ideas, how we can make better agriculture system in future and which area we have to consider.

 1. Industrialization of Agriculture

The concept for agriculture has to be changed from 'subsistence' to 'industry' level.  The traditional way of farming is intensive labour and high input cost with low output mechanism. People will engage whole year in farm and return of just subsistence harvest. This way of farming will creates production deficit to support future feeding necessity plus would trap potential labour force in unproductive work. 

Photo: Traditional ploughing method in Nepal, source: loaded Nepal

Photo: Agri-industrialization, source: Massive science

Photos showing the difference between Nepalese farming system Vs modern commercialized farming system 

Productivity is a major objective if we think from food security fro today and future. From current trend of declining availability of cultivable land and pressure to create enough food production for future generation should shape our future agriculture to commercialization. 

Why industrialization of agriculture in Nepal?

-Traditional agriculture system is highly labour and cost intensive

-Current system is low productive

-Current system is trapping active labour force to unproductive hardship work

-And we need to maintain feed necessity for future and current system is just subsistent

Therefore, first we have to develop a concept that Agriculture is an industry and then we have to act on it

We have to overcome the resource dependency to foreign countries before going to commercialization in agriculture in nepal

Our current agricultural system is facing challenges to easy and cheap access of input such as seeds, fertilizers and chemicals.  The government system is poorly acting on producing agricultural inputs as well as there is low awareness in farming community towards agri-inputs.  Importantly because of porous border to India,  illegal agri-input marketing from India and poor quarantine facilities from Nepal government are constraining Nepalese agriculture system to become more dependant to  India. This dependency is threatening the existence of Nepalese agriculture system. However, because of low level of understanding for importance of right agri-input such as healthy seed, fertilizers and chemicals ; it is creating misleading concept for buying cheap products from market without considering future impact. In addition, because of low and/or negligible attention to reviewing market and proper seed and seedling quareetine from Nepal government, it is ironically growing invasion of illegal foreign marketing strategy for low quality agri-input, which should be shut down forever. The higher dependency to foreign input is creating a syndicate in one hand and in in another hand collapsing our existing farming system. Our future agriculture should be free from illegal agri-inputs and should be more focused on domestic support for agri-input, therefore we can explore our agri-system to yield optimum with our own existing agri-diversity. This will create balance between sustainable development, putting value to  our existing system and strengthening our own system as a brand. 

Why to reduce dependency

-To break illegal and unfair syndicate on agri-input

-To strengthen our own existing sustainable system and to promote it as brand

-To save our existing system to be collapsed

-To overcome crop failure and other production problems

2. Agro-tourism

Nepal is already a beautiful country when most of the people are depending on farming in their own aspects.  Plains (tarai) is given potential from our god nature for agri-industrialization where mountains and himalayas have potential for agro-tourism.  Respecting our old tradition to continue farming in high mountains in terraces and himalayas, it could be an eye-opening opportunity to generate income from agro-tourism. The mountains and himalayas regions have specific potential for cool weather and small narrow terraces and enchanting scenic mountains.  The hardship of local community to inheriting farming and way to sustain their live can be given with another great opportunity to agri-tourism. In this way, existing farming will go continue, preserved and go as brand plus farmers will get some economic return by preserving the way of farming in their land. 

The Longji terrace in China are one of the promoted agro-tourism destination for spring rice. The local community is preserving their own traditional way of farming as well as attracting tourist. There is no way to attract tourist if there is not terrace farming for spring rice. The Longji terrace are now worldwide terrace farming brand. Similarly, Indonesia has created Tegalalang terrace rice as  agro-tourism brand, many tourist visit to see terrace rice farming. 

 Photo : Longji terrace in China, source: EaseMytrip.com

Photo: Tegallalang rice terrace in Indonesis, source: Joney Melon

Nepal already have much beautiful terraces in mountains, hills and himalayas regions. These regions are not feasible for commercialisation and industrialization, however, are highly potential for agri-tourism like China and Indonesia are doing. We can shape our hills and high hill agriculture system as new brand for agro-tourism.

 Photo: Terraces in mid hills in Nepal, source: flicker