Committee to provide inputs for ADS
KATHMANDU:
The Agriculture and Water Resource Committee of the Legislature-Parliament has shown concern regarding the Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS) — the 20-year strategy for agriculture sector development — that the government is planning to implement by next fiscal and said it will provide necessary inputs for a complete document.
“ADS has overlooked some crucial issues that must be incorporated in the long-term strategy,” Gagan Thapa, chairperson of the committee said.
The Agriculture and Water Resource Committee had formed a 14-member subcommittee under the convenership of lawmaker Ananda Pokharel and had been tasked to prepare a report focusing on issues overlooked by ADS. ADS is being prepared with cooperation of Asian Development Bank and 12 other development partners.
The parliamentary committee has said that ADS seems unaware about the government’s target of graduating the country to the league of developing countries by 2022 and as the major contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), ADS must incorporate how agriculture sector can contribute to achieving the graduation target.
On the other hand, the subcommittee report has shed light on the interrelation between forest and agriculture, and spoken about promoting non-timber forest products (NTFPs) as agriculture commodities.
“Agriculture and forest are interlinked to each other. There are a few products like medicinal herbs and some high value fruits, which are often neglected by Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, and also by the Ministry of Agricultural Development,” Pokharel, convener of subcommittee stated.
He also stressed that the ADS should provide preferential treatment to cash crops, products of comparative advantage and high value crops.
Likewise, the parliamentary committee said that ADS should address the challenge of retaining youths in the agriculture sector by providing lucrative opportunities. ADS should also incorporate crucial issues like soil treatment to raise productivity, organic farming, ensuring farmers’ right, execution of land use policy and linking farms to the market (value chain), among others.
As per preliminary report prepared by the subcommittee, ADS also overlooked the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture and vulnerability of small farmers. It has also sought resilience-building measures through the strategy.
In addition, the parliamentary committee stated that the ADS should envisage a mechanism which can create ownership of concerned ministries and agencies for its effective implementation.
ADS has envisaged attracting investment of around Rs 50 billion in the agriculture sector (including agro processing) annually and transforming subsistence agriculture by increasing the number of irrigation facilities, and proper mechanisation, which would promote commercial farming. However, it restricts foreign direct investment (FDI) in production but allows so for processing.
Source: THT
