KATHMANDU, JUNE 16
The Nepal Horticulture Promotion Centre (NHPC), in collaboration with Manakamana Training and Skills Development Institute, successfully organized the Provincial Level Validation/Findings Sharing Workshop of the Research on the identification of vegetable crops that reduce imports and increase self-reliance in Hardinath, Dhanusha, Madhesh Pradesh on June 14.
The workshop supported by Swisscontact's Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA) programme was held in coordination with the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives of Madhesh Pradesh (MoLMAC).
The workshop served as a platform to present and discuss comprehensive findings from the research study conducted in Madhesh Pradesh. The event was held under Dr. Namrata Singh, Secretary of MoLMAC, who was the chief guest. She emphasized her commitment to improving the vegetable crop situation in Madhesh, reducing imports, and enacting policy regulations to strengthen self-reliance.
The Senior Economist, Dr. Prahlad Kumar Thapa of NHPC addressed the workshop, highlighting the research's comprehensive findings and shedding light on the existing gaps regarding vegetable imports in Madhesh Pradesh.
According to the press release issued by the Swisscontact, the presentation delved into demand analysis, providing valuable insights for stakeholders and policymakers to strategize sustainable solutions. The main strategies highlighted in the presentation were: i) Focus vegetable production in peri-urban areas and in interior parts that have road access, Introduction of new high-yielding varieties, improved production practices, timely availability of fertilisers and plant protection materials, and irrigation, Increase of cropping intensity by providing short duration crops and vegetable varieties to catch production seasons effectively supported by timely supply of material inputs, irrigation, and appropriate tools and equipment to save labour time. ii) Reduce post-harvest losses by improving the techniques of harvesting, hauling to packaging yard, cleaning, grading, packaging, storage and transportation by farmers and by improving vegetable handling process during marketing by wholesalers and retailers. iii) Reduce vegetable trade-deficit by reducing import from India and promoting export to India by solving the problems faced in vegetable trade with India. iv) Improving marketing management by providing proper marketing yards and structures, water and electricity at the wholesale and bigger retail markets; by providing stalls, proper transit storage and garbage management system in the retail markets; and by providing transit storage, security, loading and unloading platforms and price information at the market centres.
The Head of Portfolio and Quality from CASA, Manish Bikram Shah expressed gratitude to the research organization, relevant stakeholders, and participants for their valuable contributions to the successful completion of the research study and the subsequent findings sharing workshop. The event marked a significant milestone in the collective efforts to foster self-reliance and sustainable agricultural practices in Madhesh Pradesh.
The workshop fostered collaboration, knowledge exchange, and future planning, marking a significant step towards promoting self-reliance and sustainable agricultural practices in Madhesh. MoLMAC expressed its commitment in implementing the findings and recommendations of the research.
