'Nepal’s farmers not gaining from research'

I find myself in an awkward position of defending Nepal's NARS as I am often critical of it. But sensational headlining like this is not helpful. There are obvious gaps but there have been tremendous contributions by various and greatly underfunded research organizations. HYV use even if it is somewhat dated varieties in the three main crops rice, wheat and maize is extremely high and now even growing in the hill and mountains. Appropriately scaled mechanization/machinery use even among poor small farmers is growing. Machinery like two-wheel tractors, threshers/shellers, and irrigation pumpsets are spreading fast due to NARC, MOA and other special projects. Strengthening and increasing coordination between the various departments and projects would of course be welcomed.

It is true that Government of Nepal has not given due consideration to agriculture research despite its potentially pivotal role in generation of technology that can generate rural employment and reduce hunger and poverty in remote and inaccessible food insecure regions of Nepal. Agriculture extension in other hand has not geared up with technologies suited to different niches of the country. Hence, there is two way bottleneck in agriculture i.e. a dearth of technology suited to diverse aggro-ecological domains and agriculture extension is disseminating technology without research backstopping. As a result agriculture is in a slippery road.

There are new innovation despite the under funded agriculture research in the country. One can find many improved varieties of major cereals (rice, maize, wheat) as a result of priority given for research by donors such as USAID, CGIAR and many more during seventies and eighties. The Nepalese government is not aware of of the long term nature of research. After a series of commitments (both financially and with high skilled trained manpower), outcome of research could not be materialized. Therefore, it is high time to give important to agriculture in general and research in special. Only then can Nepal sustain her poorly funded agriculture research. At least Nepal should earmark fund and priority for agriculture research as that of neighboring countries of SAARC region. Before getting late, to save vehicle of agriculture in the slip pry slope, one should recognize the importance of agriculture without delay.