| Abstract |
Cereal and pulse yields in Nepal fall well below regional averages and the present rates of yield increase will not meet long-term domestic requirements. Factors that contribute to the low yields of staple crops in Nepal include scarce and costly farm labor, poor knowledge of best agricultural management practices by smallholder farmers, insufficient irrigation and mechanization to overcome soil moisture and labor deficits, and farmers’ reluctance to take risks and invest in new technologies, including diversified cropping systems. These areas also receive limited attention from the private sector in terms of investment in agriculture. The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) has been working in India, Nepal and Bangladesh since 2009 to identify and research technologies for improving the yields of staple crops. Nepal’s Terai plains and Midhills are one of CSISA’s working areas as there is considerable scope for improving farmers’ lives by making agriculture more productive and sustainable. The Government of Nepal’s 20-year Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS, 2015–2035) recognizes the need for new science-led innovations, crop diversification for income generation, strengthened input systems for seeds and fertilizer, mechanization to address out-migration and the aging agricultural workforce, and enterprise development to create jobs and extend support services to farmers. |
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