Policy roadmap for agriculture transformation: Marketability of farm products should be the focus
Summary
Nepal’s agriculture has strong natural potential but remains constrained by fertilizer shortages, weak irrigation, limited credit, poor market access, and labor outmigration. The article calls for policies that improve marketability, value chains, contract farming, irrigation, and agri-processing to cut imports and raise rural livelihoods.
Key Points
- Nepal’s diverse climate and natural resources give it strong agricultural potential across cereals, fruits, cash crops, and livestock.
- Chronic problems such as fertilizer shortages, rain-fed irrigation, weak marketing, limited credit, and labor migration are keeping agriculture underdeveloped and import-dependent.
- The article urges the government to prioritize market access, value-chain integration, quality assurance, and support for farmers through credit, extension, insurance, and digital market information.
- It recommends contract farming, 4Ps, cold chains, agri-processing, mechanization, and large irrigation projects to modernize the sector and reduce imports.
