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CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN NEPALK. C. Sharma *1. INTRODUCTION1.1 Agriculture as a Complex ProfessionActually agriculture is a complex profession in the sense that it is an outcome of theefforts from different types of institutions including farmers. Technology developed byresearch institutions is transferred to the farm community though extension. Before anappropriate technology is evolved, a lot of efforts from different institutions need to be made.After the technology reaches the field, the farmer requires integrated services from differenttechnical units. How to grow a new variety in the field is a challenge for the farmer.Agronomic knowledge, pathological knowledge, soil related knowledge, irrigationknowledge, post-harvest knowledge and marketing knowledge should exist as preconditionsfor the farmers; then they can go along with a new variety of crop in the field. Credit andnecessary inputs are also preconditions.1.2 Agriculture is Basically TraditionalThe main actor in any agricultural development system is the farmer. The farmer isbasically a traditional person. It is easier to go along with what he is doing rather than havingto change. When we say change in technology, the farmer has to adopt a lot of new practicesfor the change to occur. He requires more money to buy more inputs needed by newtechnology. In many cases, he needs to employ more skilled labour for which training isrequired. For high production technologies, irrigation should be ensured, fertilizers should beavailable, seeds should be of good quality and management should be skilled. Havingreceived all these the production, which is the main focus of high technologies, may stillremain low or may not meet expectations. Agriculture in Nepal is always risky and thereforeif you try to change something it becomes more risky. Because of this the farmer tries tostick with traditional agriculture.1.3 The FarmerThe farmer is the key player in farming. Whatever the scientists may do, if the farmerdoes not adopt it, no progress takes place. The farmer is surrounded by differentcircumstances in which there may be a lot of problems, constraints and opportunities. Thefarmer therefore needs motivation first and then facilitation on the way to adopt newpractices.The farmer or any person undergoes different stages before he adopts new things. Forexample, one should require the information first followed by rising interest. Then he startsevaluating the new information or technology. Positive evaluation leads to trial and then* Project Coordinator, Crop Diversification Project, Ministry of Agriculture, Kathmandu, Nepal.81
adoption if perceived good and rejection if bad. If the farmer is forced to adopt a newpractice without his own evaluation or willingness, there is a likelihood that it might notcontinue, but if he is motivated and convinced, the practice will be well taken.1.4 TechnologyTechnology is another important aspect on which the adoption by the farmer depends.There are certain attributes of technology such as the cost, simplicity, profitability,divisibility, immediate return and so forth. If the technology is difficult or complicated and itis of high cost, the farmer will be reluctant to accept while on the other hand if thetechnology is highly profitable and cost effective, it is likely to be adopted.On the other side the technology should be suitable to the locality in terms of climate,topography and local need. A technology which is not feasible in the area should be avoided.People these days have become result oriented. Anything you adopt should givepositive impact. It should be an environmentally friendly, economically viable, sociallyjustifiable and locally satisfying type, otherwise people will reject it. In this view, researchersshould take note that the technologies generated should be suit the farm community as wellas the local climate of course, with the qualities mentioned.1.5 EcologyNepal can be divided into three ecological zones, namely: Terai (plain), Mid-hills andHigh hills. Terai is the main area where cereal crops can be extensively grown. Because ofthe tropical and sub-tropical climate in the region, food crops, vegetables and fruits oftropical and sub-tropical nature are the main agricultural produce. As we go higher we havemid-hills where different types of crops can be grown. This is the region where differentclimates are available. For example, at the foot of the hills the climate is sub-tropical whereasat the top of the hills it is temperate. Food crops at the foot and fruits as well as potato at thetop of the hills are the main crops in this region. High hills is a region where a snowy(alpine) climate is prevailing. Potatoes, temperate fruits, livestock (sheep and goat) are themain commodities of this area. So it is the ecology that creates a lot of differences intemperature and commodity and these create a possibility for crop diversification.Crop diversification represents the growing of a variety of agricultural commoditiesthat are commercially viable and locally acceptable. The farmer has limited land where hewants to grow everything possible for home consumption. Whatever may be the cropintensity, this type of approach is not commercially viable. These days the farmer has to becommercialized for sustained livelihood. Commodities having higher comparative advantageand higher marketability should be grown on a commercial basis. In order to encouragecommercialization, the production pocket concept and farmers group approach asencouraged by the Agriculture Prospective Plan (APP) should be fully implemented.Selecting the crops or commodities with higher comparative advantage and highermarketability and growing them on a commercial basis is defined as crop diversification.Commodities grown on hills can be off-season for Terai. If this is the case, why notencourage hill farmers to grow these types, such as off-season vegetables?82
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RAP PUBLICATION: 2001/03CROP DIVERS
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CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN THEASIA-PAC
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13. INTENSIFICATION OF CROP DIVERSI
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INTRODUCTORY REMARKSMinas K. Papade
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New opportunities that would benefi
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CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN BANGLADESHM
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(CDP) during 1990/95 in 125 Thanas
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SlName of Crops1 Aus:HYVLocalTable
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Table 4. Trade of Crops/products (I
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through development projects implem
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y the terminal year of the Fifth Pl
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cropping. This has only been possib
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process and export those labour int
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g) restoration/improvement of soil
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8. RECOMMENDATIONSConsidering the i
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enthusiasm of the farmers in their
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3.3 The Formation and Development o
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carried out for years, guarantees t
Page 38 and 39: environment protection. Special att
Page 40 and 41: 2. CROP PRODUCTION AND ECONOMICS SC
Page 42 and 43: What is most notable is the change
Page 44 and 45: 8.36 m/ha involved in the area shif
Page 46 and 47: fact that the area shares of the do
Page 48 and 49: country. Therefore, a judicious use
Page 50 and 51: 5.3 Emerging Technology and Crop Di
Page 52 and 53: 7. CONCLUSIONSIndia, being a vast c
Page 54 and 55: Table 3. All India: Temporal Change
Page 56 and 57: Table 5. All India: Temporal Change
Page 58 and 59: CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN JAPANMasa I
Page 60 and 61: production, these ratios were deter
Page 62 and 63: soybean using paddy fields should c
Page 64 and 65: food industry have sharply increase
Page 66 and 67: 7. CONCLUSIONSThe Japanese socio-ec
Page 68 and 69: Figure 2. Change of Rice Productivi
Page 70 and 71: Figure 4. Aid Provided by Major Cou
Page 72 and 73: The Natural Rubber (NR) industry co
Page 74 and 75: About 78 percent of the rubber grow
Page 76 and 77: should be attractive to justify the
Page 78 and 79: REFERENCESAnon. 1990. Proceedings o
Page 80 and 81: Table 3. Agriculture Land Use in Sa
Page 82 and 83: Table 7. Paddy Production, 1985-199
Page 84 and 85: Table 10. Imports and Exports of Fr
Page 86 and 87: Table 14. Exports and Imports of Pr
Page 90 and 91: We know hill farmers face many prob
Page 92 and 93: Table 2. Growth of Agricultural Com
Page 94 and 95: 3. PATTERN OF CROP DIVERSIFICATIONN
Page 96 and 97: With regard to success stories of c
Page 98 and 99: 5. CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND PR
Page 100 and 101: It recognizes the need for a differ
Page 102 and 103: CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN THE PHILIPP
Page 104 and 105: 2.3 Yield Per Hectare of Agricultur
Page 106 and 107: In coconut, diversification means t
Page 108 and 109: were used in the preparation of the
Page 110 and 111: There are a variety of factors that
Page 112 and 113: Table 1. Production Area of Commerc
Page 114 and 115: Table 3. Yield (tonnes) Per Hectare
Page 116 and 117: Table 5. Selected Macroeconomic and
Page 118 and 119: Table 7. Dominant Rice Cropping Pat
Page 120 and 121: 1.2 Soils in the Crop Diversificati
Page 122 and 123: Table 1. Major Crops, Their Extents
Page 124 and 125: drained and rice on poorly drained
Page 126 and 127: Figure 3. Schematic Representation
Page 128 and 129: The potato production in the up cou
Page 130 and 131: Table 6 clearly shows that there is
Page 132 and 133: In addition to the above scenario,
Page 134 and 135: 6. GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND STRATEGI
Page 136 and 137: Panabokke, C.R. 1996. Soils and agr
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y promoting diversified crops inste
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Over the past few years, agricultur
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Land TenureMore than half of the Th
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The New theory is a novel approach
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Mushrooms: nang-fah mushroom (Pleur
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- Farmers can sell their rice at a
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In order to maintain the growth rat
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REFERENCESAthipanan, Withaya. 1995.
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CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN VIET NAMNgu
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3. PATTERNS OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION
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the contour with mulching using ric
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development of new crop varieties a
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• Cultivated and growing area und
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other hand, the size of an average
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4.1 Crop NutritionA major contribut
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increased from 130 million ha to 15
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in tobacco nurseries. These also he
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past experience. A sustainable prog
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diversification, taking into accoun
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The major outputs are:- Integration
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• Database and information materi
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• Business plans have been formul
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minimize such losses. The developme
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LIST OF PARTICIPANTSBANGLADESHM. En
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SRI LANKAH.P.M. GunasenaDirectorPos
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FAOR.B. SinghAssistant Director-Gen
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