Milanshar Farmers Group and IPNS

This time our visit was short but we could attend many functions and palces. Our main destination was Regional Agricultural Directorate, Pokhara, Where we attended Nepal Khadya Surakchya Anugaman Pranali ( NeKSAP) Regional Consultation Meeting  but we visited Sarankot, Baudhasthupa, Bindabasini Temple, Talbarahi temple (Fewa lake) and Begnas lake . All those spots are important either for  scenic beauty or religious point of view. But the most interesting, one farmers function we attended was very  important for me. We were on the way back to Kathmandu, one phone came to our joint secretary Mr Vijoy Kumar Mallick. It was an request to attend a closing function of IPNS ( Integrated Plant Nutrient Management School). 

Personally it was my second time( this type of function). Earlier I had chance to attend a farmers co-operatives annual general assembly at Chiti VDC, lamjung last year. This time, beautiful cultural dressed women were standing in-front of stage. when we reached there, the program had already started. But chief guest was with us, our joint secretary. After welcoming we all, there was a dance. The song was about protecting soil and its fertility . Six women started to dance and same number were there for singing. At a corner men were playing Madal, khaijari ( local musical instruments )and harmonium. The dance was nice, traditional Kauda dance of Pun ( Magar). And song was informative.

After the dance there was a session for observation by chief guest and other guest about the IPNS. they had studied about plant nutrient,water cycle, use of fertilizer and bio pesticides, planting method to application of IPNS in their field. As, the school was for 10 month long, they could apply IPNS for two season crop. The first crop was potato , by which they earned  about three times profit compared to traditional cropping system . But unfortunately the snowball hit their second crop ( maize) and we could notice some naked maize crop standing in field with very few productive cobs.

Any way , farmers were happy for government support and staffs responsible to conduct that IPNS were also happy. In a scenario of most of the people becoming lazy to adopt new techniques of agriculture , it was really a wonderful inclement toward the modern agriculture.

Read More

Area and Production Share of Cereals in Nepal

Based on preliminary estimate of summer and winter crop for year 2012.13, the area and production share of important cereals in Nepal is shown. Crop like paddy covers less area but share more on production, whereas all other cereals covers more area but shares less in total production. The most deviation in area and  production share was found in case of paddy followed by millet, but nature of deviation is exactly opposite in these two crops. Here, a common understanding about Green Revolution is proved. I mean, green revolution was quiet biased to some major crops like paddy and productivity is found to have increased much in paddy. Whereas , millet didn't get any privileged or say attention from green revolution, that's why its productivity is still pathetic. Very interestingly, the productivity of millet is same as it was 50 years back in Nepal.

Read More

Effect of Research Station on Production

Sometimes its difficult to categorize cause and effect like basic childhood question, chicken first or egg first? Here, my question is simple, research station first or pocket area (agriculture) first? But, I am sure it's not so complicated as it was for first question; at least for Nepal. I have heard many countries have established pocket area then research station in those areas where production was zero earlier. But most of the research station in Nepal is established based on the production trend of the area.

By testing this basic hypothesis, I was judging the production area and productivity of some major cereals (Maize, Wheat and Rice). Recently Ministry of Agricultural Development has published the preliminary forecast of production of all crops and livestock for year 2069/70 ( 2012/13). The result shows production of total cereals is lower by 7 lakh 19 thousand metric tonne this year compared to year 2011/12. Late monsoon in summer season is main reason to  lower the production of summer cereals like Rice and Maize. Winter crop was expected to componsate it, but could not in reality.
The major production hub is obviously Terai region.  But this year Terai region itself faced a decreased production in cereals. The production of wheat is found to have decreased in terai whereas increased in hill and mountain. On an average 2 percent of total wheat is increased compared to earlier year. The wheat production is higher in western terai compared to central and eastern Terai. That’s why my earlier question, Does the wheat research station in Bhairahawa plays any role?  is relevant here. The rice research station is in Hardinath and at same time rice production is higher in eastern and central part. Similarly Maize research station is in Rampur and maize production is found higher in that periphery. 
Should we praise those research station for doing better there  ? yes, if it was due to their role. But, if those research station are established based on pocket area, definitely no.

Read More

WDI Indicators for Agriculture

Is third world war is approaching ? no, but has started already. How? through  Economic war. A common people like me, now devote more time in pages having business news than a political news. How US budget has grown up each year compared to China or Vice-verse  and  What is economic growth rate of China, Japan , India etc this year; these are matter of our interest now. Even, I enjoy the war of Apple and Samsung; how Samsung pay for copyright case and how market of Apple has gone down compared to Samsung. I don't think I am alone to have such changes, but probably knowingly or unknowingly  most of us has felt this. Growing number of such news in newspaper and TV signifies my verse. 

War always needs weapon. Socio-Economic Strategies are new weapon for economic power gaining war. Some cases of religious issues, some cases of natural oil extraction issues, some cases of internet use and abuse issues, some cases of bilateral and multilateral relations and most importantly some cases of trade,business promotion and market share are weapons. All of the nation and particularly top economy of the world in one hand is working for own economy gaining and in other hand for hindering opponents to gain.

In this scenario, many Indexes and statistics published regularly plays important role to inform them about status of own nation as well as opponents. UNDP uses HDI to compare and highlight the status of human development whereas World Bank uses WDI  to highlight the status of a nation in perspective of Development status. Recently World bank has published it's report for year 2013. All together 331 different development indicators under 18 different sub-headings of development  for 214 nation of the world is given by the report. 

Under the Sub-heading of Agriculture and Rural development , there are 32 indicators to show the development status of a nation in perspective of agriculture and rural development.

Nepalese over-all indicators got very low value, categorizing the nation as a whole in " Low income nation" group. Its very contradictory to have two third of population employed in agriculture and to have more than twenty percent of population  using 70 percent of their income Just for food.

Agriculture & Rural Development

Agricultural irrigated land (% of total agricultural land)	Fertilizer consumption (kilograms per hectare of arable land)
Agricultural land (% of land area)	Fertilizer consumption (% of fertilizer production)
Agricultural land (sq. km)	Food production index (2004-2006 = 100)
Agricultural machinery, tractors	Forest area (% of land area)
Agricultural machinery, tractors per 100 sq. km of arable land	Forest area (sq. km)
Agricultural raw materials exports (% of merchandise exports)	Improved water source, rural (% of rural population with access)
Agricultural raw materials imports (% of merchandise imports)	Land area (sq. km)
Agriculture, value added (% of GDP)	Land under cereal production (hectares)
Agriculture value added per worker (constant 2000 US$)	Livestock production index (2004-2006 = 100)
Arable land (hectares)	Permanent cropland (% of land area)
Arable land (hectares per person)	Poverty gap at rural poverty line (%)
Arable land (% of land area)	Poverty headcount ratio at rural poverty line (% of rural population)
Average precipitation in depth (mm per year)	Rural population
Cereal yield (kg per hectare)	Rural population growth (annual %)
Crop production index (2004-2006 = 100)	Rural population (% of total population)
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment)	Surface area (sq. km)

Read More

Why APP could not succeed ?

( My Article Publsihed in Agweekly 2070-1-12 )

किन सफल भएन एपिपि ?

नेपालको कृषि क्षेत्रमा रहेका सम्पूर्ण नीतिहरूमा दीर्घकालीन कृषि नीति (एपिपि) लाई सर्बोत्क्रिस्ट मानिन्छ | अत्यन्त दुरदृस्टी मानिएको नीतिको हाल १८ वर्ष पछिको उपलब्धिको समीक्षा गर्ने हो भने सोचे भन्दा निकै कममात्र सफलता हासिल गरेको महसुस हुन्छ |आखिर दिर्घकालिन कृषि नीति किन सफल हुन सकेनत ? यस बिषयमा गम्भीर छलफल हुनु आवस्यकता हुन गएको छ | यो छलफल किन पनि महत्वपूर्ण छ भने, नेपाल सरकारले अबको करिब दुई वर्ष पछि अन्त हुने त्यसै नीतिको विकल्पमा कृषि बिकस रणनीति ( एडिएस ) समेत तयारी गरिरहेको छ |

दिर्घकालिन नीतिको आधारपत्रमा उल्लेख सामाजिक तथा राजनैतिक धरातल र नीति कार्यान्यन अवदीको  वास्तविकपरिवेशमा निकै अन्तर हुन गयो | दिर्घकालिन कृषि नीति निर्माण गर्दा देशको शान्ति सुरक्षाको बिसयमा केहि पनि सोच राखिएन | तर, नीति लागु हुदा नहुदै चर्किएको युद्धका कारण कतिपय ठाउमा राज्यको उपस्थिति नै भएन भने, कतिपय ठाउमा लगिएका कार्यक्रमहरु समेत सफलतापुवक संचालन हुन सकेनन | दिर्घकालिन नीति लाई दस बर्षे लामो युद्धले निकैनै असर पुगेको महसुस हुन्छ, परिणामस्वरुप, दिर्घकालिन नीतिको सफलतामा निकै नकारात्मक असर पुग्न गएको छ |

एपिपि आफैमा आकर्षक भए पनि राखिएका लक्ष्य बस्तुगत नभएको र आकर्षक बनाउने सोचमा वास्तबिकता भन्दा ज्यादै माथि कल्पना गरिएको महसुस हुन्छ | कृषि ऋण को रुपमा रु १०९.४ खर्ब रकम खर्च गर्ने भनि राखिएको लक्ष्यले यसकुराको पुस्टि गर्छ | कृषि बिकस बैंकको ऋण कृषि क्षेत्रमा बढाउदै लैजाने भनेर सोच राखिए पनि कृषि विकास बैंकले  क्रमसः कृषि ऋणको अनुपात घटाउदै लगेको छ |तसर्थ, सोचे अनुरुप लगानी नहुदा नीतिले परिकल्पना गरेका कतिपय महत्वकान्क्षि उपलब्धिहरू समेत प्राप्त हुन सकेनन |

लगानीको प्राथमिकता एक क्षेत्रमा गरिनु अनि त्यस्को प्रतिफल अर्को क्षेत्र बाट अपेक्षा राखिनु आफैमा बिरोधास्पूर्ण परिकल्पनाको रुपमा समेत दिर्घकालिन कृषि नीतिलाई लिन सकिन्छ| नीतिमा ब्यबस्था गरिए अनुरुपका मल , बिउ तथा सिचाई जस्ता क्षेत्र मा गरिने लगानीको प्रत्यक्ष असर  बाली उत्पादनमा देखिन्छ| तर उत्पादन को क्षेत्र मा राखिएका लक्ष्यमा प्रमुख खाद्यान्न वाली कहिँ पनि उल्लेख भएको पाहिन्न| यसै गरि पशुजन्य उत्पादन क्षेत्रहरुमा लक्ष्य निर्धारण गरिएपनि उल्लेखरुपमा कुनै पनि लगानी को ब्याख्या गरिएको पाहिन्न | फलस्वरुप कृषि गार्हस्थ उत्पादनमा पशुजन्य उत्पादन को हिस्सा ३१ प्रतिसत बाट ४५ प्रतिसतमा पुर्याउने लक्ष्य राखिएकोमा हाल आएर २५ प्रतिसतमा झर्न पुगेको छ |

दिर्घकालिन कृषि नीति असफल हुनुको प्रमुख कारण मध्ये एक कारण प्राथमिकताको क्षेत्रमा सरकार, व्यक्तिगत एवम दात्रि निकायहरूको लगानी नहुनु समेत रहेको छ |उदारहण स्वरूप,नीतिले कृषि व्यवसाय प्रबर्द्धन तर्फ स्याउ , सुन्तला जातका फलफूल, रेशम खेति एवम मौरी पालनमा बिशेस जोड दिएको पाहिन्छ| तर, यसै अवदीको  लगानीको मात्राहेर्ने हो भने यीनिहरू भन्दा भिन्न क्षेत्रहरुमाबढीलगानी भएको पाइयो| जसलेगर्दा अन्य क्षेत्र हरू जस्तै चिया, कफी तथा पुस्प व्यवसाय ज्यादा फस्टाएर गएको छ| यसरी, लक्ष्य र लगानीको तालमेलका कारण समेत कतिपय व्यवसाय अनुत्पादक रहेको प्रस्ट हुन जान्छ|

दिर्घकालिन कृषि नीतिको एक बाधक कारणहरू मध्ये नीतिगत दोहोरो बुझाई समेत रहेको छ l कृषि सडक र ग्रामिण सडक भिन्न कुरा हुन भन्ने नबुझ्दा धमाधम ग्रामिण सडक हरू निर्माण भए, तर कृषि सडकलाई बेवास्ता गरेको भान हुन्छ | बस्ती बस्तीमा बाटोहरु खोल्ने कार्य सुरु भए, तर कृषि उत्पादन पकेटहरुलाई बेवास्ता गरियो | एकातर्फ, सोचिएजस्तो सडक निर्माणकार्य हुन नसक्नु अर्को तर्फ कृषि सडक को परिकल्पनालाई तोडमोड गरेर बुझ्नु जस्ता कारणहरू समेत नीतिलाई असफल बनाउन भूमिका खेलेको पाहिन्छ|

जिम्मेवारीवहन तथा समन्वय र सहकार्यको समस्याको कारण समेत दीर्घकालीन कृषि नीतिको सफलतामा बाधा पुग्न गएको छ | नीतिको कार्यान्यन गर्ने निकायको रुपमा राष्ट्रिय योजना आयोगलाई तोकिए पनि यस कार्य कृषि बिकाश मन्त्रालयको मात्र दायित्व हो झैँ गरि, सम्बन्धित पक्षले लिदिनाले समेत समस्या थपिएको महसुस हुन्छ| वास्तवमा, यो सम्पूर्ण निकायको साझा लक्ष्य हो, यो नेपाल रास्ट्रको लक्ष्यहो र यो हामी सबैको लागि हो भन्ने धारणा बिकास हुन नसक्दा सोचेजस्तो सफलता हासिल हुन नसेकेको पाहिन्छ |

तसर्थ, कृषि बिकस रणनीति निर्माण र कार्यान्यन गर्दा दिर्घकालिन कृषि नीति बाट सिकेका सिकाई हरुसमेत ध्यान दिनु आवस्यकता हुन्छ| पहिले गरिएका गल्तिहरु नदोहोरिउन र नया परिबेसमा नया स्वरुपको नीति बिकास गरौ भन्ने अभिप्रायले कार्य गर्दा दिर्घकालिन नीतिका अनेकन उपलब्धि, चुनौती तथा अफट्याराहरू मार्ग दर्शक हुन गएका छन् |

Read More

Food Requirement Per Person Per Day and Per Year

Wait for extreme hunger and eat till our belly is like a ball; is very common in Nepal. The information about importance of right food, at right time interval and at right quantity is still not disseminated well. As a result of which, even, educated circle of nation are not following the good routine.How much food a person should take per day ? It depends upon the many factor. First factor is your age; children and old age should have less whereas young should more. Second factor is Sex; it is scientifically verified that women should have less food than men. Similarly,  third factor would be the personal physical works; those having heavy physical exercises and works should obviously have more food than having light works. These are some of the major  factors; but there are many metabolic and external factors which an medical researcher can explain much better than an agriculturist like me. However, the principle of average should never be neglected. No such medical research  is found in Nepal. So, we are purportedly borrowing findings and recommendations from Indian Council of Medical Research for own use, considering the findings might be replicable to our situation.

Food requirement per person per day(ICMR 1985)

Food group	Requirement in gm*
Cereals	400-650
Pulses	55-80
Green vegetables	100-125
Roots and tubers	75-100
Other vegetables	75-100
Fruits	30
Milk	100-200
Meat or fish	30
Egg	30
Sugar	30-55
Fats and oil	35-50

Derived ICMR Recommendations (kg/person/year)

Food group	lowest	highest	average
Cereals	146	219	183
Pulses	20	32	26
Green vegetables	37	46	41
Roots and tubers	27	37	32
Other vegetables	27	37	32
Fruits	11	11	11
Milk	37	73	55
Meat or fish	11	11	11
Egg	11	11	11
Sugar	11	20	16
Fats and oil	13	18	16
Total	350	514	432

Read More