CEAPRED
Changing Farms
CEAPRED has shown that Nepal’s ecological comparative advantage can be used to boost alternative agriculture to bring prosperity to rural parts of Nepal
By A CORRESSPONDENT
Megendra Gurung of Dhankuta had never thought that his barren land could bring him prosperity and help transform his entire village.
When the Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED) began to promote off-season vegetable farms at the initiative of Dr. Hari Krishna Upadhyaya, a renowned agro-economist, two decades ago, subsistence agriculture was the norm in Dhankuta and elsewhere.
“Twenty years ago, we came up with a particular vision or philosophy for agriculture. It was not just an approach to agriculture development. It was like new paradigm that was fit for Nepal, a paradigm that was fit for Nepal’s unique geo-physcial and ecological context,” said Dr Upadhyaya.
“We did not have enough food to feed our families. We grew maize and left our lands barren for the rest of the year,” said Megendra Gurung, a cooperative manager. “When Upadhyaya sir came to our village with his proposal to grow off-season vegetables, only a few people took the risk.”
The situation has changed. Most of the corridor along the Dharan-Dhankuta highway now produces off session vegetables which are sold even in India. Gurung has been a witness to all this transformation that took place over the last two decades.
“CEAPRED taught us how to maximize our income and livelihood through off-season vegetables,” Gurung, manager of Sidhuwa Multipurpose Cooperative Ltd, said. “We are exporting vegetables worth Rs.120 million in Indian rupees.”
Ambika Sapkota, a vegetable producer of Kavre district, has a similar story to tell. With the introduction of off-seasoned vegetable, Ambika’s village has also transformed drastically.
“Our land used to produce food just enough for four months and we had to go outside the village to make money to buy food for the rest of the year,” Sapkota, vice chairperson of Chandrawati Vegetable Producers’ Cooperative, said. “After taking up off-season vegetables farming, I now make more than Rs. 300,000 a year.”
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Dr Upadhyaya: Commitment for cause |
CEAPRED was established in 1991 under the leadership of Dr. Hari Krishna Upadhyaya, a renowned agriculture economist. The leading national developmental NGO of Nepal is now known as the first non-governmental organization in the country to work in the agricultural sector.
Dr. Upadhyaya’s approach not only changed the vegetable production pattern in the country but also inspired other farmers to replicate the achievements made by the farmers of Dhankuta and Kavrepalanchowk district. CEAPRED has programs also in Rukum and Salyan districts where farmers are getting a lot of benefits.
Dhankuta’s successful off-season vegetable program is being replicated by farmers’ groups all over the country. As the number of such farmers grows, it is getting easier to find off season vegetables in the market as well.
Noted among many programs implemented by the CEAPRED are the commercial off-season vegetable production program launched in eastern Nepal in the early 1990s and commercial vegetables seed production program currently in operation in several districts of Nepal.
“In remote and inaccessible areas, commercial production of bulky and perishable commodities, such as fresh vegetables, is not a feasible strategy for increasing household income and food security due to lack of market access. But commercial production of low-volume high-value commodities, such as vegetables seed is. Vegetable seeds can be stored locally for some time and without losing quality,” said Dr. Hari Krishna Upadhyaya, president of CEAPRED.
“Over the past two decades of its operation, CEAPRED has implemented 64 development projects; most of them are related with income and employment generation through commercial high-value agriculture and agro-enterprise promotion. Ever since its establishment, CEAPRED has consciously and consistently focused on sustainable poverty reduction and enhancement of food security and livelihoods of the poor, disadvantaged and deprived families including small and marginal farmers of rural Nepal,” said Bharat Prasad Sharma, executive director of CEAPRED.
CEAPRED has directly worked with around 120,000 families in 42 districts of Nepal. The incomes earned by the participating families are estimated at several billion rupees annually.
“Over the years, our organization has grown in its institutional and professional strength, size and coverage,” said Bharat Prasad Sharma, executive director of CEAPRED.
“CEPARED has shown the way to transform livelihoods of rural parts of Nepal. We need to replicate the experiences gained by CEPARED throughout the country. Our past experiences have shown that we cannot uplift the life of rural people without bringing change in agriculture sector. CEPARED has shown that off season vegetables is the best way,” said Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, vice chairman of National Planning Commission.
One of the keys to the success of any organization is its approach. CEAPRED follows a three-pronged program approach consisting of social mobilization, capacity development and local institution building.
CEAPRED has already promoted some 102 cooperatives of various types, of which 20 are multipurpose, 53 marketing, 27 saving and credit and 2 district unions.
“A number of new cooperatives including district and central unions are currently in the process of formation,” said Sharma.
CEAPRED’s two decades of experiments have revolutionized Nepal’s agriculture sector while transforming it from subsistence to commercial farming. Although its program began from a small scale, the impacts were nationwide, establishing Dr. Hari Krishna Upadhayaya and CEAPRED’s approach to off-season vegetable farming as a way to transform the life of people as well as the agriculture sector.
Census Data Vital: Bhatta
The World Population Day slogan ‘data for development’ assumes a greater significance in the context that Nepal is bracing for another edition of the national census next year. Padam Raj Bhatta, chief of population division at the Ministry of Population and Health, talks about this.
How do you view this year’s World Population Day slogan?
This year, we are celebrating the World Population Day with the slogan ‘Data for Development’. This is a good slogan.
Next year we will have another national census. How relevant is this slogan in that context?
Next year, we are conducting a national census as well as a DHS survey and a living standards survey. In this context, the slogan is very relevant. Data have a very important role in census.
What is the state of Nepal’s population?
The census was held in 2001 when the population was 23.2 million. The projection estimated that the population will be between 27.5 million to 28 million. According to a recent projection of Central Bureau of Statistics, the rate of growth of the population is going to be 2.13 per cent. Earlier, it used to be a 2.5 per cent growth rate.
What about the fertility rate?
The trend of fertility decline is very positive. The rate came down from 6.1 to 3.1. Since our population growth rate is still high, we need to reduce the fertility rate further down. Our interim plan is also projected to bring it under 2.1. We need to bring it at the replacement level. It is still higher in rural areas but it declines tremendously at urban level.
How is political instability affecting the population program?
It has not made a major impact since we are working under the national population policy and plan. Population is a cross cutting issue and there are multiple stakeholders.
