KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 14

Smallholder farmers and agricultural intermediaries showcased their products and ideas today at an exhibition held in Birendranagar, Surkhet, in Karnali Province.

Organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture, and Co-operatives (MoLMAC) of Karnali Province and seven local governments by Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) in partnership with WHH Nepal, the exhibition served as a platform for smallholder farmers and agri-intermediaries to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and learn from one another. The event brought together around 250 stakeholders, including policymakers, senior government officials, potential investors, business organizations, producers, academia, and young people.

The exhibition marked the culmination of a series of bootcamps and other interventions implemented as part of the 'Business Incubation for Strengthened Local Agri-food Systems in Karnali' project. This project, implemented by YI-Lab in partnership with WHH, is part of the GRAPE programme, which aims to enhance green marketplaces in the province by providing business incubation services to smallholder farmers, focusing on environmentally sustainable businesses. The project is being implemented in Bhagawatimai, Bhairabi, Dullu, Naumule, Barahatal, Bheriganga, and Birendranagar local governments. GRAPE is funded by the European Union, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Inaugurating the exhibition, Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning of Karnali Province Rajib Bikram Shah said, 'Karnali holds immense agricultural potential. To tap into this potential, innovation and technology must be introduced to farmers.' He added that challenges posed by climate change threaten the agriculture sector, and all stakeholders must work together to address this. The minister also expressed his happiness about the development of Nepal's first online course targeting agri-entrepreneurs, 'Agri-Entrepreneurship 1.0,' hosted on shikshya.org, which was demonstrated during the exhibition.

Also speaking at the event, Provincial Assembly member of Karnali Kal Bahadur Hamal expressed satisfaction with the exhibition, stating that it provided a platform for gaining market experience and building a strong network. The exhibition featured 39 stalls, including one each from MoLMAC and Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Karnali, showcasing a variety of agriculture, agro-based, livestock and non-timber products as well as agri-business plans and farm records developed by smallholder farmers. Around 250 people attended the exhibition.

Most of the stalls were presented by participants of two bootcamps held between May and August this year in Surkhet, organized by YI-Lab in partnership with WHH as part of the project. The first bootcamp focused on 271 smallholder farmers, while the second targeted 40 agri-intermediaries from Karnali. Participants were selected through an online application process on apply.merokheti.org, which received an overwhelming response. The bootcamp participants included 168 women and 87 from ethnic minorities and the Dalit community.