Why does Nepal need an agricultural revolution?
Nearly two-thirds of Nepal’s population is involved in agriculture. Yet, the agricultural sector is experiencing economic, social and technological factors. Most farmers depend on food imports, outmoded techniques of cultivation, and poor access to innovative technology to enhance yields. In this regard, only an agricultural revolution in and through the country can make Nepal a ‘developed’, ‘reliant’, ‘competitive’, and ‘progressive’ nation in the world.
That is why it is said that humanity needs an agricultural revolution.
Ultimately, the primary area of the economy of Nepal is in agriculture. All the same, the sector has not shown expected productivity and capacity even in its potential. They have poor structures, rely on culturally based practices, and lack technology advancement to support their agricultural sector and instead became reliant on agricultural inputs and outputs, affecting economic growth and social development in Nepal.
Nepal imported agricultural products worth Rs 250bn in 10 months in 2024. Nepal has to import even food items to the tune of billions of rupees every year. These imports can be replaced by a self-sufficient agricultural base that would keep the money within the boundary. Increasing domestic production would of course save foreign exchange hence helping to reinforce the domestic economy.
Many youths travel abroad for employment. With new techniques and technologies, agriculture can be developed to offer new employment situations, which makes farming a stable form of employment, and greatly reduces the number of young Nepali people going abroad for employment.
An agricultural revolution is, therefore, capable of uplifting the standards of living of a rural society, and even pull such a society out of the jaws of poverty. Effective agriculture can bring about economic independence thereby changing the proportion of education, health and other facilities in the villages.
The ability to expand agricultural production into a commercial business can extend the exportation. There is demand for medicinal herbs, Vetiver oil and cardamom among other products locally meaning that they could greatly attract foreign exchange if embraced.
An agricultural revolution would make Nepal self-sufficient, competitive and socially liberal. To this end, there is a need to combine best practice with current technologies and innovations.
This young generation technology now offers a solution to make Nepali agriculture efficient, transparent, and sustainable. Sophisticated technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things), data science, and the use of the blockchain in reshaping production processes can help eliminate those shortcomings and improve effectiveness.
IoT
IoT has the potential to revolutionize agricultural management:
Smart Irrigation: IoT sensors measure the level of moisture within the soils and regulate watering based on its findings hence the efficient use of water and the associated cost.
Data-driven decisions: It provides real time weather and pest information to assist farmers and make right decisions.
Livestock and storage management: Iot makes it simpler to monitor animal health while at the same time boosting storage logistics.
Data science
Data science revolutionizes agriculture into an agricultural production system that will improve the chain flow process.
Predicting yields: By understanding the market demographics and the extent of supply and demand then efficient crop production can be anticipated.
Supply chain optimization: In turn, data science fosters timely, efficient and visibly effective farm to market value addition channels.
Blockchain technology
The application of blockchain system in the agricultural supply chain provides the solution of enhancing transparency and security.
Traceability: B2C consumers can obtain a degree of information about the origin and quality and prices of the agricultural products.
Digital contracts: This way blockchain helps farmers to reach an agreement with intermediaries or buyers without the risk of being fraud and with less chance of arising delays.
Applying these modern technologies in the agricultural sector can be helpful to raise yield, decrease cost, bring better living standards for farmers and enhance the national economy.
Domestic manufacture and international market
The local products of Nepal have a huge market prospect in the international market. With appropriate branding, certification as well as making these goods more e-commerce friendly they could easily become export worthy.
Vetiver system
One of the most effective plants that can be utilised for environmental management is Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) because it is used in management of erosion and water conservation.
Vetiver oil production: Today, with a global price of about $275 per litre, Vetiver oil is an economically attractive crop for farmers. Its cultivation also creates employment and export.
Herbal and medicinal products: Many herbs found locally include Ashwagandha, Tulsi, and cardamom have a ready market in the international markets for Ayurvedic products and are a huge export prospect.
Leveraging digital platforms
E-commerce: Currently, there are opportunities and many platforms like Daraz, hatiya and many more, for a better market opportunity.
Branding and certification: This cuts the credibility and reliability of products in the market by reducing the number of certified products or services.
As this paper has established, Nepal can reach international markets and accrue huge economic efficiency gains provided that it adopts the right strategies.
Sustainable Energy and Innovation recruitment enables the selection of the best talents for such positions through competitive events that test their creativity, innovation and problem solving skills in tackling sustainable energy issues.
Energy and technology are essential assets for improving agriculture and developing it as an environmentally friendly sector.
Renewable energy sources
Solar pumps: Water supply for un-electrified regions through the provision of affordable gadgets of irrigation.
Biogas: Use of livestock waste in the production of energy as well as organic fertilizers..
Wind energy: Powering the rural farming societies.
Innovative farming techniques
Drones: Applied in crop spraying, pest control, and even crop reviewing, thus leads to extended cycles of time and money legalized.
Hydroponics and aeroponics: Techniques that enable farming without soil while focusing on high productivity in limited space, this is particularly good for the expanding metropolitan centers.
Whenever integrating renewable energy systems to various means, the cost is cut, productivity enhanced, and the effects on environment ameliorated.
Policy support and opportunity
Policy support and opportunity are important for the development of a school health program.
Thus, there is a clear need for going through the process of forecasting for policy makers as well as developing effective policy frameworks and arrangements for public and private partnerships that will take agriculture to greater heights.
Government subsidies: Availability of cheap credit facilities, subsidies for fertilizers and affordable farm implements can help to shift the cost structure of farmers in the right direction as productivity is affected by expenditure incurred.
Education and training: Organizations from universities, government, and private sectors must be in a position to teach farmers better ways of farming in current world.
Partnerships between public and private entities (PPE): Successful application of large scale agriculture transformation involves government incentives and private capital investment. For instance, the use of PPP when promoting Vetiver products in the international market will positively impact both the farming fraternity and the economy.
For the Nepalis as well as the entire nation, an agricultural revolution in Nepal is no longer an option but is imminent and inevitable. Integrating the best of both the old and the new world technology, adopting locally available resources, spurring innovation can and indeed make agriculture sustainable, profitable, and competitive anywhere in the world. To provide the foundation for a global sustainable agriculture system, Nepal can help Vetiver and medicinal herbs with IoT and blockchain services.
This vision can only be attained through collective efforts of the policy makers, industrialization of agriculture and the farming community of the country so as to empower suicidal Agricultural sector leading the economic social and technological progress of Nepal.
The potential of Nepal is in fields—enabling them will enable the country.
