Having been exposed to research and development in Nepal for two decades, I dare to share my perspectives in this article. One can view my profile at: https://lnkd.in/gMKpSnrx, https://lnkd.in/g58Tf7fe

Nepal is a potential land for growing crops, raising livestock and meeting domestic fuel, fodder and leaf litter from forests. A farming system, constituting crop production, livestock production, and forestry with a locally managed irrigation system, is not a new area for Nepal. Forest covers more than two-fifths of Nepal’s land. Community forest is known globally and is a source of fodder and forage for livestock. Farmer-managed irrigation systems in Nepal have been the basis of irrigation water, as well as the recipient of a Nobel Prize in Economics in 2009, awarded to Laureate Elinor Ostrom. Greatness is due to Prof. Dr. Ganesh Shivakoti for having a long academic association with Prof. Dr. Ostrom. These also reveal Nepal’s natural and human resource treasures.

Issues

Youth drain for seasonal to longer-term migration has left the land barren. Senior citizens are compelled to leave the land barren or ill-managed………

Potentials

Cooperative Movement: Nepalese people are afraid of hearing the term ‘COOPERATIVE’ due to recent misappropriation and allegations. Reviewing the history cooperative movement had and has been an economic backbone. Amul Dairy, producing dozens of products in millions of quantities (volumes), is a global example of the cooperative movement. Likewise, Agricultural cooperatives have a greater role to promote agricultural technologies, skills and supplies.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training: TVET is a sector not only for producing skilled manpower, but also to reach out in the communities for promoting agricultural and technical support and services………

Livestock breeding research: Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Livestock Division, has been conducting several livestock research and studies in different parts of Nepal for a long time. Salute to some pioneers, namely Dr. Drona Prakash Rasali, BVSc, PGT, MS, PhD, FACE, DSF and Dr. Bhoj Raj Joshi (https://lnkd.in/g7D4yRiS) for their dedication in livestock breeding and veterinary science. Likewise, the veterinary scientists, namely Dr. Neena Gorkhali and Dr. Pawan Kumar Jha@Regional Agricultural Research Station, Taraha, have been conducting several studies on buffalo calf rearing in different parts of Nepal since their early careers at Lumle. I witnessed buffalo calf rearing research in Lumle Agricultural Research Centre, Kaski district (https://lnkd.in/gYkmFhzQ) in the late nineties at Lumle.

I am pleased to hear that a private company in Nepal has agreed with a Chinese private company to establish a buffalo meat processing plant in the Marin Rural Municipality of Sindhuli District, Bagmati Province, to supply 500 metric tonnes of meat daily. This will be a big opportunity to promote buffalo rearing for economic growth.