Crop Diversification in the Asia-Pacific region - United Nations in ...

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We know hill farmers face many problems and constraints. They are simply on asubsistence level and hence they cannot talk of commercialization as such. They have tohave a group attitude, production pocket approach, commercial outlook, and innovativeideas. Similarly, Terai farmers have also several constraints of different nature. They have tochange the existing agricultural system drastically. Before they change the system theyshould be changed mentally, meaning that they should develop the mentality ofentrepreneurship and learn a trading mechanism, so that their agricultural system is guidedby commercialization.In this context, it seems we have a lot of choices or options in selecting agriculturalcommodities. Because of different climatic conditions, we can grow a lot of crop species inthe country. At the same time we have different commodities at our disposal. The only thingwe need is to develop innovative ideas towards commercialization.Considering this, crop diversification is defined as an instrument by which thefarmers can grow the best profitable commodities on their land and earn money from it. Forthis, they should know which commodities are suited to their locality and earn more profit.They should also know how these commodities can efficiently be produced for the marketand how these commodities can be efficiently sold on the market- both internal and external.2. CROP PRODUCTION AND ECONOMICS SCENARIOThe productivity of cereal crops is very low. Rice is the most important cereal cropand its productivity in the mountains averages 1.7 to 2.0 t/ha while in the hills it ranges from1.6 to 2.3 t/ha. The yields are higher in the Terai, being 2.6-2.9 t/ha, but are still lower thanthose of other countries in South and Southeast Asia.Maize being the second most important staple food commodity in Nepaleseagriculture and economy, covers nearly 80 percent of the hill area. It is totally grown underrainfed conditions and mostly on marginal land with very little use of commercial fertilizers.Maize is commonly grown with millet, mostly in a relay system. Other important croppingsystems are maize associated with soybeans, legumes, radish, potatoes and upland rice. TheTerai region, which has high potential for winter and spring maize, accounts for 20 percentof the maize area and this is increasing, particularly in the winter due to accessible markets.Under rainfed conditions, pulses can play an important role in crop diversification. Lentil isthe most important pulse crop in the western part of the country. Soybean accounted forabout 7 percent of the area and 7 percent of the production of legumes in Nepal, with thehills accounting for 80 percent of area and production. The average yield is about 0.7 t/ha.Intercropping with maize gives good yields. Oilseed crops such as rapeseed, mustard, toria,groundnut, sesame and sunflower have potential in the country particularly in westernregions. They are both oil producing and income generating crops. Millet is predominantlyplanted with minimal inputs other than household labour, and is often grown under stressfulconditions and on marginal lands where other crops do not succeed. Despite these constraintsthe average yield is surprisingly high at around 1.1-1.2 t/ha.The area, production and yield of maize has improved marginally over the last 25years in the Terai, whereas in mid and high hills the area has increased by 200 percent, butyields have declined by 17 percent. In the case of grain legumes, there is a big yield gapbetween research stations and farmers' fields. This may indicate that the generated83
technology still needs to be refined and/or verified in farmers' fields and conditions. Themajor constraints identified for other potential crops such as oilseed, sugar cane and millets,include lack of irrigation, fertilizer, and improved varieties as well as pest and diseaseinfestation. The area, production and productivity of major crops during 1998/99 are shownin Table 1.Table 1. Area, Production and Yield 1998/99 (Nepal)Crops Area(ha)Production(MT)Yield(kg/ha)1. Paddy 1514210 3709770 24502. Maize 802290 1345910 16783. Millet 263950 291370 11044. Wheat 640802 1086470 16955. Barley 31843 31798 9996. Oilseeds 190429 119731 6297. Potato 118043 1091218 92448. Sugar cane 53894 1971646 365849. Pulses 308008 228840 743Source : Statistical Information on Nepalese Agriculture 1998/99,Agriculture-Statistics Division, Nepal.The share of agriculture, forestry and fisheries of the GDP has declined from 51percent (at factor cost) in the Five Year Plan (FYP) of 1985 to 49.5 percent in the FYP of1990 and to 40 percent in the FYP of 1998. Overall annual GDP growth has been erratic,ranging from 2.7 to 2.9 percent over the past six years. Growth in agriculture during the firsttwo years of the Ninth Five Year Plan (FYP 1995/96 - 97 /98) has been well belowexpectations and does not auger well for the overall achievement of plan targets. It isindicated that an overall economic growth rate in the FYP of 1999 is 3.4 percent (2.4 percentfor the agricultural sector and 4.1 percent for the non- agricultural sector).Within the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector, the long-term growth rate of 2.8percent per annum masks considerable fluctuations between groups of commodities. Growthin food grains has averaged only 1.9 percent, while that of cash crops has been 4.3 percent,and other crops (including pulses, fruits and vegetables) 3.5 percent. Within these categoriesindividual commodities vary even more, with paddy recording an average growth of only 1.9percent per year compared to wheat at 4.0 percent. Production of oilseeds remained fairlystatic, increasing by only 1.3 percent per year compared to 5.7 percent for potatoes and 4.0percent for pulses. The growth of individual commodities is indicated in Table 2.84
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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
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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 88 and 89: CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN NEPALK. C.
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
Page 138 and 139: 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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