Pesticides Dismay in Nepal

The most pathetic situation comes when people fright with food. Consumers are in great consternation and bewildered to use agricultural products (mostly vegetables and fruits) available in nearby market. This is due to vegetables are found to have laced with chemical pesticides in recent test and replication of news on public media.

Excessive use of chemical pesticides for higher production has created serious human health threats. The effect of which is equally visible in producers as well as consumers. Increased cases of cancer, diseases of kidney and liver are evidences of this.

In one hand, we are importing harmful chemicals without any restriction; in another hand, due to improper use of pesticides, products are harvested immediately after spraying pesticides and dispatched to the market. Use of unregistered and restricted pesticides has increased by many folds, given that pesticides have to formally register before. General people are being victim this.

The report by recently established Pesticide Residue Rapid Analysis laboratory in Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market proves it. Among the total 187 samples of vegetables tested, 155 are found to have safe for human consumption, 6 having excessive pesticide (has to wait many days before consumption) and 26 (14%) of which is found to have laced with health hazardous chemical residue. According to World Health Organization Standards, those pesticides having >5000 ml in systematic pesticides and >5000 mg in contact pesticides are safe for human health based on the Lethal Dose (LD) 50 in Rat (mg per Kg of body weight).

Different restricted pesticides like DDT. BHC, Endosulphan, Methyl Parathion and Monocrotophus etc. are still in Nepalese market. Most of these pesticides have been restricted more than 10 years ago. This may be due to lacking strong monitoring and punishment to relevant dealers and agro-vets. Similarly, those pesticides that are not registered to use in Nepal are also excessively used due to open boarder and easy excess to Indian market.

Government of Nepal and its capillaries are not taking it seriously, though, it has directly affected human health and large amount of money is wasted for this. In a step, government of Nepal has restricted farmers of eight different districts to sell their products in Kathmandu market. This is not a long-term solution it may rather affect the commercialization of agriculture in days to come.

There are many options for improvement. Different traps, pheromones and biological pesticides have been developed to control the pests. Traps like light trap, phenol trap, yellow sticky trap and pit fall traps are successfully practiced by increasing number of farmers. Different pheromones or lures are also available in Nepalese market major being Methyl Euginal, Helli lure, Pectino lure, Culear and DBM/Protula lure etc.

In recent days, use of biopesticide has been increased. Biopesticides like Ajadirectous, Varticelium Lekani, Nuclear Polyhydorsis Viruses(NPV), Entomopathogenic Nematode, Trichoderma Viridi & Harjanium, Bacilous Thurangenesis Kustaki and Pseudomonous Florescence are popular biopesticides. The use of these methods has to increase to have a win win situation. The losses from pest will be control in one hand and in another hand; detrimental effects of chemical pesticides on consumers are reduced.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a very useful technique to control insects, diseases, weeds, rodents and other pests. In this method, priority is given for pest resistant varieties and cultural, physical and mechanical techniques to control the pests. Many biological control methods like use of parasites, bacteria, fungus, Viruses (NPV) and nematodes are used. Further step is use of chemical attractants and use of indigenous local techniques. If the pest is not controlled then different hormones like Aaplor are used. Up to this, the chances of controlling pest are very high, but if pests are not controlled then safe chemical pesticides are applied carefully. In the cases, farmers have to use chemical pesticides, those safe pesticides having > 501 mg/Kg of harmful chemical content for LD 50, have to use to reduce the health hazard.

Therefore, these activities, mostly use of excessive dose of chemical pesticides and immediate harvest after the spray have to be discouraged and uses of alternatives to chemical pesticides have to encourage. On the top of that, policies and acts have to develop and implemented and different useful information dissemination to users of pesticide and consumer of the product has to be followed immediately. Otherwise, nation has to loss huge resources, productive labors and economic growth and people has to suffer from many diseases and deformities in near future.

Read More

Share of Agriculture GDP in Nepal, 2013/14

The latest publication of National Account by Center Bureau of Statistics shows the GDP share by Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing is 33.09 in Nepal. Similarly, economic growth rate of nation remained 5.2 this year, where agricultural growth rate was 4.7. In this scenario, division of Agricultural GDP into its major parts is important aspect to look for, which finally gives an bird-eye view to pinpoint the areas of emphasis in days to come for growth in agricultural sector and  overall economic growth of nation.

Share of Commodities to Agri GDP  (%)and percent change in quantity ( Source: CBS,NEPAL)
Commodities	Weights	2001/02	2013/14	Net Weight          in  2013/14
Cereals and other crop	49.41	100	137.86	47.76
Paddy	20.75	100	117.56	17.21
Maize	6.88	100	153.66	7.46
Wheat	7.14	100	144.92	7.30
Millet	1.37	100	110.79	1.07
Barley/naked barley	0.22	100	82.05	0.13
Potato	4.67	100	208.48	6.87
Sugarcane	1.24	100	137.95	1.21
Jute	0.17	100	94.86	0.11
Tobacco	0.06	100	59.90	0.03
Soyabeans	0.19	100	172.88	0.23
Pulses	4.42	100	148.36	4.63
Others	2.29	100	94.34	1.52
Total vegetables and Nursery	9.71	100	200.91	13.75
Vegetables	9.7	100	200.40	13.71
Others	0.01	100	539.09	0.04
Fruits and spices	7.04	100	216.98	10.78
Orange(citrus)	0.97	100	204.04	1.40
Mango	1.56	100	236.37	2.60
Banana	0.4	100	377.66	1.07
Apple	0.42	100	144.36	0.43
Spices	1.79	100	256.97	3.24
Tea	0.05	100	312.67	0.11
Coffee	0	100	449.44	0.00
Others	1.85	100	147.93	1.93
Domestic Animals and Dairy	23.25	100	135.84	22.28
Buffalo meat	4.42	100	143.45	4.47
Mutton	3.24	100	154.27	3.53
Milk	12.36	100	151.20	13.18
Others	3.23	100	47.99	1.09
Other Animal Farming	2.43	100	188.29	9.40
Pig meat	0.5	100	137.71	0.49
Poultry meat	0.67	100	281.03	1.33
Eggs	0.81	100	162.38	0.93
Hides and Skin	0.35	100	174.07	0.43
Others	0.11	100	84.10	0.07
Forestry	8.10	100	107.87	6.16
Overall Index	100	100	147.72	100.00

Read More

Public Sector: The right working environment for Young Agriculturists?

(Link to YPARD)

The Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), the apex body of agricultural research in Nepal, posted a job announcement sometimes ago in which it offered 72 scientist positions (S1) -only for those who have a Master-. However, hardly two third of the vacancies were filled.

According to the latest Economic Survey of Nepal (2013/14), the total number of students enrolled in agriculture, livestock and veterinary studies was 1,453 in the academic year 2012/13 (just in Nepal). According to which, 100 postgraduates enter the job market every year. Based on these figures, there should be a higher number of applicants for the said positions, but young professionals in agriculture are not attracted to the public sector.

Lack of enthusiasm & creativity

About 10-15% of young professionals that apply for vacancies to work in public institutions like the Nepal Agriculture Research Council, the Department of Agriculture or theDepartment of Livestock Services quit the job in their early years after having been recruited. This could become a serious problem not only for Nepal but also for other Least Developed Countries’ (LDC) agricultural development.

A bureaucratic chain made of people with conventional minds has been established in such a way that: first, it reduces the work effectiveness; and second, creates a great setback for those who really dream of transforming the established patterns, who is most of the times the youth. As a young professional, it is very difficult to fit in such environment. Enthusiasm, eagerness to work and creativity, all them can drain out as little by little, you get used to that environment and you risk becoming a reluctant manager towards new young employees afterwards.

To work or not to work in the public sector, that is the question

On the one hand, sometimes, I’d love to form part of one public institution, where you are rewarded for what you did good and punished for what you didn’t do correctly. On the other hand, I refuse myself as those with innovative ideas to be blamed for not being a conventional follower.

An internal report done by the Ministry of Agricultural Development shows that more than 50% of agricultural research time is invested in administrative procedures in Nepal. Hence, in most of the cases in public organizations in LDC, an agriculturist has to play an administrative role. Moreover, the global market of agronomists has broadened with new challenges to increase food production to feed the growing population. This has created many opportunities although the salary for agriculturists is very low in Nepal. That is why the public sector cannot stand the pressure and has to release the manpower quality day after day.

In the end, the number of options for agronomists who work in the public sector is reduced to 3: whether you follow the established patterns; you search other options; or you struggle and try to change the system. This last may be the best as it would make you more mature, it makes you learn how to cope with problems and it can make you become a really transformer.

Which option do you choose?

Read More

Rotten Tomatoes

Link to Article in Republica National Daily

The large scale of tomato crushing in Kalimati, Kathmandu few days back was unpleasant, whatever its reason. In a context when most farmers are at subsistence level, throwing tomatoes in the streets by some commercial farmers should not be overlooked. Prompt response as well as long-term strategies to address this problem is needed.

Nepali agriculture as a whole has witnessed sluggish growth in the past, vegetables being the exception. We have produced vegetables by large numbers and are being self-sufficient. Total vegetable production has increased by more than two times in the last decade only. Now, vegetables are major part of our daily staples and food diversity has considerably grown.

Tomato, however, has a bitter story. It is widely grown and is a promising vegetable in Nepal. Thanks to latest technology, either it may be initiation of tunnel farming or introduction of new varieties, mostly hybrids; tomatoes have seen a surge in production. Farmers’ initiation and support from agriculture technicians also have played vital role in this. The nature of tomato crop and its suitability to our climate is also a prominent reason behind this. Tomato is one of the best alternatives for those who want to have crops with high demand and good market price throughout the year.

Due to many such reasons, the area and production of tomato is increasing in Nepal. Tomato is grown in about 20,000 hectares of land. In the last four years, the area of tomato farming has increased by about 27 percent and production by 24 percent. (See chart .) This trend is expected to remain the same in the future.

There is a long history of exporting tomatoes to India. But now Nepali tomatoes have lost their quality as they are laced with pesticide residues. These tomatoes have failed to meet the sanitary and phytosanitary measures imposed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) which has made them difficult to export. Given such condition, farmers have resorted to theatrics by crushing their low-quality tomatoes in the name of lack of sales.

Delayed monsoon has resulted in insignificantly low loss in tomato, especially in Kathmandu periphery. Tomatoes have overflowed the market. Due to inverse relationship between quantity and price, the latter is remarkably low this year compared to previous years. While tomato price is stagnant in Nepal it is skyrocketing in India. Production cost is low in India (due to input subsidies and low labor price) while the product price is high here. Therefore, it is viable to export our products to India but it is most often cumbersome and unregulated.

Years	2010	2011	2012	2013
Area (ha)	15609	16702	16416	19728
Production (Mt)	242018	259189	282481	298594

Source: Statistical Information on Nepalese Agriculture (MoAD)

Improper market management has a long history in all major agriculture markets of Nepal. Both the government and privately managed markets are underperforming due to ignorance, conflict of interest and lack of proper regulation. The capacity of our wholesale market has not increased as per the demand. Given this, tomato-dumping happens and will continue if proper market facility is not developed. On top of that, proper storage facilities and post harvest industries are lacking here. We do not have facility to store or immediately process our excessive products. Tomatoes, which could be part of our dish as a pickle, vegetable or any processed product like ketchup, had to be dumped in the Kalimati streets.

The remedy to the problem is maintaining quality of our product. Mostly the pesticide residue has become a major concern of any importing nation. Therefore, both discouraging to use chemical pesticides and providing facility to test the quality of products should go side by side. Recently, a Rapid Pesticide Residue Testing Lab was established in Kalimati market. This has to be replicated in major exporting hubs of Nepal.

Vegetable demand has grown considerably due to growing population and increased consumption. Currently, agriculture market has become congested due to rapid urbanization and distance to the market has increased for the consumers. This demands more markets to absorb more products. Similarly, Kalimati market which was outside core urban area is now in the center of the city and its expansion is almost impossible. If it is modernized in the form of a multistory building with proper parking facility, it can still work but this requires huge investment. Nonetheless, modernization and proper market management is needed.

I disagree with the argument that the government has to negotiate with its Indian counterpart with regard to quality of products. However, if quarantine certificate has to be obtained from distant cities like Lucknow and there are difficulties in export/import, the two governments can have a talk. Likewise, promotion of all farmers and protection of large farmers will be a better option ahead to keep farmers encouraged. Some extra facilities have to be increased for commercial farmers.

The problem lies with farmers’ inability to hold their products. Agricultural products are high volume low value products and mostly perishable in nature. Therefore, if proper storage facilities are developed or more agribusiness industries established, Kalimati cases will not recur. The farmers’ aggression against the government is justifiable. The government has to protect the commercial farmers. Proper marketing as well as storage and processing facilities are needed. But farmers also have to maintain exportable quality to earn higher profit from their products.

Read More