active · Health

Improving composting and fertilizing techniques of conventional and commercial vegetables farmers in Nepal

Nepal vegetable production in 2016 was about 4 million MT produced on 280.807 hectares where the average production per hectare was about 14 tons. This is significantly lower than in developed countries. In Nepal there is an increasing number of people living in urban areas that depend on fruit and vegetables being produced in the rural areas. At the same time, the available land to produce vegetables is limited and the productivity on this available land is very low as farmers do not use proper techniques. This has for instance compelled the infinite use of hazardous chemical pesticides for increasing productivity, especially in producing vegetables. The farmers are furthermore not aware of using the right quantity and quality of fertilizer. The use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides develop resistance power of many insects/weeds against those pesticides. For instance, white grubs are among the difficult insect pest in Nepalese agriculture to control. The major reason to arise this insect pest is due to applying of immature manure from livestock to the field. The consumer’s awareness for quality vegetable production is increasing so the vegetable growers now need to find new and alternative methods to earn more with less investment, safe and hygienic vegetable production at the same time. The commercial vegetables farmers are converting into greenhouse for tackling these challenges. With large population of working age population going abroad for work, Nepal faces an acute shortage of labour as well. With more use of modern equipment and mechanisations, the high cost of production can be lowered along with the quality of the produces. With the use of modern inputs from greenhouses to high quality seeds already available in the local market, the efficient use of fertilisers is imperative for good crops. The use of drip based fertigation system is unheard of in the farmers circle. They have start using it to enhance their product quality. Agriterra believes that those commercial farmers who grow for the market only have future and sustain in the long run. Through this proposal Agriterra in Nepal wants to express its interest to support leading conventional and larger commercial vegetables farmers in increasing quality productions and productivity through capacitating them in production and application of compost fertilizer and fertigation techniques. Result 1 (R1): 20 Commercial vegetable farmers identified in Makwanpur district ActivitiesA.1.1 Identify 20 best commercial vegetable farmers within the network of District Agricultural Cooperative Union (DACU) MakwanpurA.1.2 Develop profiles of the farmers according to their skills, good practices, knowledge, production and other characteristics Result 2 (R2): Strengthened capacities of the selected farmers in producing and application of bio-compost fertilizers Activities:A.2.1 Recruit Agricultural Junior Technical Assistance (JTA) for providing coaching on producing and application of bio-compost fertilizers according to soil conditions and nutrition requirement of the productsA.2.2 Conduct training for the farmers on producing and application of bio-compost fertilizers Result 3 (R3): Selected farmers become resource person for providing training/coaching on producing bio-compost fertilizers Activities:A.3.1 Develop cases of the selected farmers A.3.2 Disseminate information of the selected farmers in the network. Result 4 (R4): Strengthened capacity of green house vegetables growers in fertigation techniques Activities:A 4.1 Identify 20 big green house vegetables growers outside the network of DACU Makwanpur who have greenhouse and drip irrigation systemsA4.2 Conduct training for the green house farmers on fertigation techniques A4.3 Organize exchange visit program of the greenhouse farmers to India. Result 5 (R5): Network developed between selected commercial vegetable farmers and greenhouse farmers. Activities:A5.1 Conduct exchange visit program of commercial vegetable farmers and greenhouse farmers.A5.2 Conduct interaction program between commercial vegetable farmers and greenhouse farmers. Strengthened capacities of the selected farmers in producing and application of bio-compost fertilizers Selected farmers become resource person for providing training/coaching on producing bio-compost fertilizers Strengthened capacity of green house vegetables growers in fertigation techniquesNetwork developed between selected commercial vegetable farmers and greenhouse farmers