Conference on ‘Sustainable Agriculture Growth in Nepal’ begins

A two day long international conference on ‘Sustainable Agriculture Growth in Nepal: Challenges, Opportunities and Options’ started in Kathmandu on Sunday. The conference is jointly organized by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) and Nepal Economic Association (NEA). Addressing the inaugural session of the conference, Minister for Agricultural Development Haribol Gajurel said there was a miss-match between donor agencies’ investment in Nepal’s agriculture and the actual need of the agriculture sector of the country. “Different international agencies are working and investing in Nepal’s agriculture. But Nepal, which was independent in agriculture products earlier, is now heavily dependent on imports,” Gajurel said, adding: “Investors and donor agencies should invest as per the need of the country’s agriculture industry.” On the occasion, IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan said last year’s earthquake had had a devastating impact on Nepal, sending the country’s food security into a tailspin. “Farmers must be plugged back into the food chain that broke when the earthquake hit, and that means reconnecting them with the technology, the infrastructure, and the markets necessary to take their products from farm to fork,” Fan said. NEA Chairman Bishwambher Pyakuryal said that the changing nature of food consumption in Nepal was alarming. He also charged the government for not implementing experts’ suggestions about uplifting the agriculture sector of the country. Saying that the conference would focus on challenges seen in the agricultural growth in Nepal, IIDS Executive Director B D Pant said: “Outcomes of the conference will be fruitful for the domestic agriculture industry and its commercial development ahead.” Organizers said the conference would discuss challenges faced by those the agriculture sector like low production, production instability, climate change and its effects, and infrastructure development, among others. The two-day conference has participation of more than 100 agriculture experts from countries like India, Nepal, the United States and different donor agencies. Source: Republica