The Karnali provincial government has been providing interest subsidies to support local farmers, a program that has benefitted more than 800 individuals in the fiscal year 2024/25.
According to Parshuram Rawat, Secretary at the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, 535 agricultural entrepreneurs and 350 farmers affiliated with 10 cooperatives received the subsidies through six banks. Rawat added that banks and cooperatives in Karnali have mobilized around Rs 1.44bn in agricultural investment.
As part of this progress, Karnali now exports 365 tons of dried ginger and turmeric to Germany annually. Currently, 2,000 farmers in the province are involved in organic certification programs.
Last year, the ministry implemented 747 small irrigation schemes, extending irrigation to an additional 2,142 hectares of land. Secretary Rawat stated that irrigation has now been expanded to cover 900 more hectares. These efforts have benefitted 16,200 households and generated 125,000 employment days.
Through its Agriculture and Business Promotion Program, the ministry planted 20,100 orange, 15,400 lemon, 5,000 walnut, and 1,000 apple saplings, benefitting 2,800 households. As a result, cultivation areas have expanded by 70 hectares for oranges, 24 hectares for lemons, 40 hectares for walnuts, and five hectares for apples.
The ministry has also distributed seeds—16 quintals of improved rice, 35 quintals of corn, 60 quintals of wheat, and 245 quintals of ginger and turmeric. Additionally, 8,000 mellifera and 436 serena bee hives, along with beekeeping equipment, have been provided to farmers.
In support of livestock development, over 50 sheep farmers received incentive grants for veterinary treatment. However, infrastructure for the planned liquid nitrogen production plant is still under development, with machinery yet to be delivered. Under the Natural Disaster Relief Distribution Program, the ministry has provided Rs 8.2m to 1,624 farmers for hailstorm-related damage to 300 hectares of crops.
To enhance soil quality, 15,204 soil samples were tested at the local level, followed by technical consultations for farmers. “To maintain seed quality, we inspected 89 hectares of seed farms and certified 31.51 tons of foundation-level seeds,” said Secretary Rawat.
In the past year, 50,018 animals were artificially inseminated across the province. Moreover, 2,507 farmers have been encouraged to pursue dairy farming, and 741 farmers have been supported under the small livestock program.
Of the Rs 1.86bn allocated to the ministry, Rs 1.29bn—or 69.25 percent—was utilized, marking a one percent increase compared to the previous fiscal year. In 2024/25, the ministry executed Rs 949m out of Rs 1.37bn in current expenditure, and Rs 343m out of Rs 495m in capital expenditure. The Agricultural Development Office in Kalikot had the highest budget implementation rate, utilizing 96.69 percent of its allocation.
Minister Binod Kumar Shah acknowledged the ministry’s progress despite the mismatch between sectoral needs and available resources. However, he noted that a lack of funding has prevented the ministry from undertaking research-based initiatives.
Chief Minister Yamalal Kandel emphasized the importance of meaningful implementation. “Spending the budget is not the real achievement. We must evaluate the social impact of our investments,” he said. Kandel added that while many returnees from abroad are entering agriculture, those trained by the ministry and its affiliated offices should be leading the way in transforming Karnali’s agricultural sector.
