Scaling up efforts for green, clean and safe vegetable production
LALITPUR - Final results sharing meetings of two FAO supported Technical Cooperation Projects (TCP) entitled “Strengthening pesticide management in agriculture to reduce risks to health and environment (TCP/NEP/3502)” and “Building Agribusiness Capacity of Smallholders Farmers to Market Safe Produce of Good Quality (TCP/NEP/3503)” implemented by the Plant Protection Directorate and the Agribusiness Promotion and Marketing Development Directorate of the Department of Agriculture respectively were organized in Lalitpur on 28-29 March 2017.
The focus of the TCP/NEP/3502 project was on reducing pesticide risks in agriculture and ensuring food safety, whereas the project TCP/NEP/3503 aimed at contributing to enhance market-oriented production, improved income of smallholder farmers and enhanced access of consumers to safe and quality produce.
Both the projects having duration of two years were implemented in the districts of Kavre, Dhading, Bara and Kapilvastu. The two projects were complementary to each other and focused on strengthening the capacity of the IPM farmers groups and participating farmers supported by the Integrated Pest Management Programme in the past. The major thrust of these projects were directed towards reducing pesticide misuse in agriculture through promoting IPM-based Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and eco-friendly pest management practices as well supporting the farmers and traders in production, promotion and marketing of safer crop products. The projects also heavily focused on creating awareness among the consumers on adverse effect of pesticides on human health, environment and benefits of using safer crop products to minimize the health risks.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Suroj Pokhrel, Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that both the public and private sector should be involved with commitment and dedication to ensure the supply of safe food to the consumers. He also suggested the concerned authorities to find out solutions to the problems related to the price fluctuation in the vegetable markets that appears from time to time as burning issues causing financial threats to the vegetable farmers.
Dr. Somsak Pipoppinyo, FAO Representative in Nepal and Bhutan, said that the projects have played a role to initiate and establish common platform for strengthening the government’s capacity on the residual monitoring and effective management of pesticide legislation and safe use.
He expressed gratitude to the Government of Nepal, especially to the Plant Protection Directorate Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agricultural Development for the continued collaboration and cooperation with the FAO towards successful completion of the projects.
Speaking from the chair, Mr. Dila Ram Bhandari, the Director-General of the Department of Agriculture, said that legal, administrative and technical interventions of the projects have been instrumental to produce manpower in pest management and educate the farmers on the market streamlining. He also thanked the FAO for the technical and financial assistance to both the projects.
Mr. Iswor Rijal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agricultural development and Dr. Binod Saha, Assistant FAO Representatives also addressed the meeting.
Dr. Dilli Ram Sharma, the Director of the Plant Protection Directorate, who is also the National Project Coordinator of TCP/NEP 3502 and Mr. Laxman Poudyal, Director of Agribusiness Promotion and Marketing Development Directorate and National Project Coordinator of TCP/NEP/ 3503 projects made detailed presentations on the achievements of the respective projects.
The meetings were attended by the government officials and FAO experts, representatives of farmers and consumer forums.