2,968,017 ha. land under cultivation

Pokhara, Apr. 18 (RSS): Reiyukai Nepal, established here 23 years ago as a chapter of the international organisation which works to identify the inner self, promote the spirit of love, instil respect for one's ancestors and foster world peace, is to extend its cooperation from this year onwards for raising agriculture yields.

As 60 per cent of the 460,000 Reiyukai members in the country are dependent on agriculture and many of them live in rural areas, the organisation recently held a national level two-day basic training concerning agriculture.

The training programme was organised with the objective of transforming 48 farmers from the 47 Reiyukai branches and sub-branches across the Kingdom into instructors. The trained instructors will contact the agriculture offices and service centres in every district and start their work in line with stated objectives.

It is not possible for the country to increase the area under cultivation to keep up with the increase in population and meet the growing demand for foodgrain.

The central bureau of statistics had projected the population of Nepal for last year at 22,367,048, it is learnt.

The quantity of foodgrain necessary to feed nearly 22.5 million people is about 4,286,000 metric tons a year.

The total output of paddy, maize, wheat and millet last year was only about 4,100,000 mt, it is learnt from Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC). NARC has categorised these five crops as main cereals.

Looking at the figures for last year, the output of foodgrain fell short by about 1,000,000 mt.

The population census of 2048 Bikram Year states that 8.1 per cent of the population is dependent on agriculture. Intellectuals express concern at the import of foodgrain to meet the deficit in a predominantly agricultural country  like Nepal.

On the other hand, data collected last year reveals that the total cultivable land in the country is 2,968,017 hectares.

Only 886,249 hectares of cultivable land (30 per cent of the total)  has   irrigation.

As the population continues to grow at the rate of 2.4 per cent per annum and the deficit in foodgrain goes on increasing, it becomes necessary to enhance the productivity of the cultivable land to increase agricultural output.

It is felt here that the time has come to pay attention to irrigation, soil nutrients (fertilisers), improved seeds and appropriate technology to increase productivity and output.

The private sector and the Agriculture Inputs Corporation (AIC) together were able to supply only 156,828 mt of chemical fertiliser last fiscal year which, on the average, is equivalent to only 30 Kg per hectare.   This is one of the reasons for the decline in output, according to  farmers concerned.

Agricultural loans of over five billion rupees were disbursed last fiscal year and aic supplied 1,905 mt of improved seeds,  according to the data.

The excessive use of chemical fertiliser and an unscientific agriculture system have caused rapid decrease in the fertility of soil. It is time to pay attention to blending the use of compost fertiliser with chemical fertiliser to consistently improve the soil fertility, according to the concerned experts.

Considering the area under paddy cultivation and the expected yield in the current fiscal year, productivity is expected to be the maximum as compared to each of the last 30 years, according to NARC.

Realising that there should be not only a green revolution but also an evergreen revolution to increase foodgrain output, NARC has initiated research accordingly, says senior scientist and head of NARCs publicity and documents division Bhola Man Singh Basnet. 

An integrated pest management programme should be carried out to increase productivity, according to scientists.

Likewise, the concerned authorities should also pay attention to agriculture markets, cold storage, credit at low interest rates, accessibility of technical services, construction of rural roads, etc. To motivate  farmers to raise farm output.

Many people are of the view that the agricultural sector should be revolutionised. Through commercialisation and mechanisation. The misconception that educated people should not do physical or manual work should be discarded.

Drawing attention towards cultivable land with irrigation left  fallow throughout the year, some intellectuals suggest that law should be enacted under which   land owners cannot keep cultivable land fallow.

More land tax should be levied on such fallow land. And if land tax could be reduced on land cultivated throughout  the year, it will go a long way towards increasing agricultural output, according to chairman of Kaski District Development Committee  Punya Prasad Paudel.

The government has already formulated and introduced  the 20-year agriculture perspective plan. However, central member of Nepal Peasants Association Keshari Raj Parajuli laments that framers are still in the dark about the  plan.

From 1960 till now, 163 strains of 28 different crops have been released in Nepal for various areas, registered and recommended for use with a complete technology package, according to NARC.

Among those recommended for the rainy season are 44 paddy strains, 15 maize strains, three millet, four groundnut, six soybeans, two bean, two lentil and two jute strains.

The desired productivity and output levels will be achieved only if the   complete technology package recommend after necessary research is applied, according to scientists.