The agriculture sector of Nepal has been a major sector of the economy in terms of income, employment, and food security. Among 14,71,81,000 hectare land area, 21% i.e. 30,91,000 hac land is cultivated and 7% i.e. 10,30,000 hac land area cultivable is uncultivated. Nepalese agriculture is characterized by subsistence farming and the concentration of most land is in the hands of a few people. More than half (56.6%) of all landholdings are less than 0.5 hectares and 40% of farmers have land more than 0.5 ha and less than 3 ha.
The involvement of the population in the agricultural sector is gradually declining due to the increasing use of technology, professionalism in agriculture, and expansion of the service sector. According to the Nepal Labor Force Survey of 2008, 73.9 percent of the population was engaged in the agriculture sector, but in 2018 the proportion has decreased to 60.4 percent. According to analysis based on a statistical report of Central Bureau of Statistics 2020, the contribution of the agricultural sector (agriculture, forest, and fisheries) in total Gross Domestic Product was 26.5% in the fiscal year 2018/19 and estimated to be 27.7 percent in the fiscal year 2019/20. The contribution of this sector to the economic growth was 21.2 percent in the fiscal year 2018/19. The average annual growth rate of agriculture in the last decade was 3.2 percent. Production of agriculture sector was increased by 5.1 percent in the fiscal year 2018/19. The production of paddy has declined and the production of vegetables, meat, and milk has been affected due to the measures taken for the prevention and control of the coronavirus and the disruption made in the supply system. Nominal growth in the production of wheat, maize, and fruits is expected.
Trade of Agriculture Production.
Major agricultural commodities of export from Nepal include vegetables, tea, spices, fats and oils, animal feed and jute, and other vegetable fibers. The major agricultural commodities of import to Nepal are paddy/rice, maize, vegetables, fruits, animal feed, fat and oil, cotton, and other commodities. According to Nepal’s Foreign Trade and Customs Revenue (FY 2075/76 – 2076/77) In the fiscal year 2018/19, foodstuff of Rs.51.80 billion was imported whereas the import value of foodstuff is Rs.40.82 billion during the mid-March of the fiscal year 2019/20. The share of paddy/rice in the total import of foodstuff is 60.0 percent. During this period foodstuff equivalent to Rs.17.0 million was exported. Till mid-March of the previous fiscal year 2019/20, meat, fish and prepared fish meat worth Rs.1.78 billion has been imported. In the previous fiscal year, the amount of such import was Rs.2.16 billion, the import value of cardamom, ginger, turmeric, chilly and other spices was Rs.7.69 billion whereas the export value was Rs.3.80 billion. In the fiscal year 2018/19, such import and export values were Rs.11.42 billion and Rs.5.04 billion, respectively. During the mid-March of the fiscal year 2019/20, the export values of tea and coffee were: Rs.1.87 billion and Rs.52.0 million, respectively. In the fiscal year 2018/19, the export values of tea and coffee were Rs.3.20 billion and Rs.100 million.
Status of Food Crops Production.
The report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, 2020 says the area of food crops is declined by 0.9 percent in the fiscal year 2019/20 compared to that of the fiscal year 2018/19. The area of arable land has decreased due to fragmentation of land, use of arable land for housing, and migration of youths abroad causing labor shortage and barren land. Despite the decline in paddy production during the fiscal year 2019/20, the production and productivity of maize, wheat, and barley crops are high hence it is estimated to have grown in production and productivity of food crops by 2.9 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively. Paddy, one of the major food crops, its area of production has decreased by 2.2 percent in the fiscal year 2019/20 in comparison to that of the fiscal year 2018/19. Due to unfavorable weather conditions plantation could not take place and the area remained barren thus the area under paddy has declined. Production of paddy had increased by 8.9 percent in the fiscal year 2018/19 but decreased by 1.1 percent in the fiscal year 2019/20(Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, 2020). The area of maize crops has increased by 0.2 percent to 958,150 hectares in the fiscal year 2019/20 in comparison to that of the fiscal year 2018/19. In this period the production and the productivity of maize crops are estimated to increase by 6.7 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively. The field of wheat crop plantation is expanded by 0.3 percent to 705,887 hectares in the fiscal year 2019/20 than the former fiscal year. During this period the production and productivity of wheat have increased by 8.9 percent and 8.7 percent and wheat production are estimated to reach 2.185289 million metric tons.
Status of Livestock and Poultry.
Compared to mid-March of the fiscal year 2018/19, during the mid-march of the current fiscal year 2019/20, the total number of cows /oxen, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and ducks, dairy cows, and hen/ducks that lay eggs has increased whereas the number of dairy buffaloes, rabbits, yaks (mountain cows)/ naks (female of yaks)/ mountain cows(chauri)/horses/mules/donkeys has declined. During the mid-march of the current fiscal year 2019/20, milk production has increased by 2.1 percent compared to that of the previous fiscal year and has reached 156,934 metric tons. Similarly, during this period the production of meat has increased by 1.86 percent to 252,622 metric tons. In the fiscal year 2017/18 the annual per head eggs availability was 52 whereas it has increased to 53 in the fiscal year 2018/19, the annual per head milk availability in the fiscal year 2018/19 was 74 kilograms.
Need of Sustainable Agriculture.
Food security and environmental degradation are the two major challenges for sustainable agricultural production in today’s world. To satisfy the ever-increasing population’s food demand, we must increase agricultural production. The agriculture production never seems to be satisfactory in Nepalese condition. The unattractive agriculture income is compelling the major portion of the youth to migrate abroad in the search of a better-paid job. Nepalese agriculture faces major challenges such as declining agricultural productivity and rising pressure on soil, water, and forests. A growing human and livestock population exacerbates the problem. It has now become apparent that traditional agricultural systems are no longer sustainable, with both human and livestock population densities exerting pressure upon the land that is unsupportable. Thus there is a need for sustainable intensification and agricultural growth to provide a way to break the vicious circle of poverty and resource depletion. To withhold the youth on Nepalese agriculture it is better to plan and design a sustainable approach to agriculture. The wrong agriculture measures that have been practiced earlier need to be addressed immediately and have to start the socioeconomic feasible, environmentally friendly, and highly productive agriculture in long run. Sustainable agriculture refers to the practice of production of field crops, vegetables, livestock, and fisheries using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare. It integrates three main goals: (i) environmental health; (ii) economic profitability; and (iii) social and economic equity. Approaches to sustainable agriculture is a broad term that encompasses a variety of approaches. There are several approaches used to ensure sustainable agriculture which include; Crop rotation, Biodynamic farming, Ecological farming, Natural farming, Organic farming, Biointensive agriculture, Conservation agriculture, Agroforestry, Integrated Pest Management, Integrated Nutrient Management, Precision agriculture so on. Among these of all Agroforestry is an old technique used by farmers all over the world. In Nepal’s hilly areas, the agroforestry method is widely used. It integrates fast-growing, N-fixing woody species inside small-scale farming. Agroforestry is a holistic approach that has always played a critical role in Nepal’s agricultural system’s sustainability. Agricultural production will also improve as forestry improves soil fertility and reduces soil erosion. Likewise, agroforestry is the ecologically rational and economically sound approach that will increase food, feed, and fuelwood. Agro-forestry with its integrated and multidisciplinary approach can bring Nepalese agriculture towards a sustainable system that will help in promoting livestock components, recycling of the nutrients, soil conservation, carbon restoration, biodiversity conservation, and at the same time will increase the income of the smallholder farmers. Thus, this technology has to explore both by the government as well as non-government agencies through planning, implementing, and adopting projects at the farmer’s level. In Nepal, many other sustainable agricultural approaches are being adopted. Adoption of zero tillage in wheat and minimum tillage in lentil cultivation, the practice of intercropping and mixed cropping, crop rotation, integrated pest management, organic farming, etc. Little modification and improvement in these techniques can meet the increasing food demand of the growing population, raise the economic standard and maintain a sound environment.
Hence, Sustainable agricultural growth is very essential to obtain a sound environment and ensure food and nutrition security in a country like Nepal. Agriculture still contributes about one-third to the country’s GDP and provides direct livelihood to two thirds of its population. In the present context of Nepal, the majority of farmers cannot afford the capital expenditure or risk of modifying or intensifying their farming practices. As a result, government policies and practices should promote sustainable intensive farming systems throughout the country from the start, such as through subsidies for improved varieties, fertilizers, agricultural implements, and small agro-industries. Appropriate crop selection, balanced nutrients, and prudent pesticide usage, and implementation of appropriate conservation practices boost output while minimizing environmental and human health impacts.
Gautam Khadka : Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences (IAAS), Paklihawa Campus BSc. Agriculture 7th Semester
