FAO DG visits farming community in Kavre
The Director General visited the FAO supported Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme area in Kusadevi Village Development Committee (VDC) of Kavrepalanchowk District, 50 km south east to the Kathmandu valley on 12 March 2016. The visit was accompanied by Minister for Agricultural Development, Secretary and Joint Secretary at Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD), Attaché de Cabinet, ODG, FAOR and Assistant FAOR (Programme) in Nepal.
Upon arrival, the Director General was warmly welcomed by the villagers and he observed the Potato field being produced using IPM technology. During the brief discussion with the farmers in the field, the Director General was explained about the specific IPM practices that were followed in growing healthy potatoes. The deliberation by the farmers highlighted Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as an effective and sustainable approach to crop production and minimization of the use of chemical pesticides.
The Director General also visited IPM farmers’ managed Saypatri Community IPM Resource Centre at Kushadevi, where the IPM farmer facilitators trained by the IPM Programme were engaged in rearing, production and marketing of selected bio-agents as an alternative to chemical pesticides. The centre was also providing need based advisory and technical backstopping support to the IPM farmers in producing the healthy crop products using IPM technology.
Sayapatri Community IPM Resource Centre together with IPM farmers and local leaders of the Kushadevi Village also organised a formal welcome reception in honour of the Director General. Speaking at the reception, the Director-General highlighted that the FAO’s presence in the country was meant to provide technical support to the agriculture sector in Nepal. He said the new technologies were doing rounds among the peasants due to the increasing level of awareness among them and that he was confident the campaign to sustainable crop production with adequate attention to food safety with the use of the IPM approach in the country would gain a success among the wider farmers. The Director General was also happy to note that potato varieties developed by the International Potato Centre were also being successfully grown and popular in Nepal.
Minister for Agricultural Development expressed happiness to see the local peasants availing IPM facility and reaping double crop yields as its outcome. After the reception, the visiting dignitaries were given a warm farewell by the farming community and the local people.