Success stories of small organic farms in Nepal

*~Giri Dhari Subedi Senior Scientist Nepal Agricultural Research Council~* Nepal is a land locked country situated between 26° 22’ and 30° 27’ north latitude and 80° 4’ and 88° 12’ east longitude along the southern slope of the Himalayas between India and China. It occupies an area of 147,181 km² of which about 28% (4,100,000 ha) is agricultural land. The country is divided into five distinct physiographic regions (Terai, Siwalik, Middle Mountain, High Mountain and Himalayas) from south to north running parallel east to west. However, from agro‐ecological point of view the country is broadly divided into four regions: Terai, mid‐hills, high hills and mountain. Each of these regions is characterized with specific physiographic, biological habitat and socio‐cultural settings. Mountains and Hills represent 77% and plain area (Terai) 23% of the total land mass of the country. Topography of the country is extremely diverse ranging from 60m above sea level in the southern plain to the highest point in the surface of the earth (8,848 m) in the north (Harka Gurung, 2005).

Agriculture sector is the highest contributor in Nepalese economy. Its share on national gross domestic product is 33.5% and provides employment to 66% of the economically active population (MOAC, 2010). Government past efforts to increase agricultural production and productivity were fundamentally guided towards promoting intensive use of green revolution based technologies and off‐farm agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides, and improved varieties/breeds and planting materials (D. M. Pokherel, 2012, MOAC, 2008b, NPC, 2010; NPC 1995).

Average use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in Nepal (Yubak Dhoj G. C. and Mandira Katuwal, 2011) is still very low (32 kg/ha and 142 gm/ha/year respectively). But unbalanced and overuse of pesticides in some crops and production pockets particularly in commercial vegetables grown for urban markets has been a major concern at present. With increased awareness about harmful effects of pesticides on human and environment health, an organized movement towards organic agriculture was initiated from late 1980s by non‐government organizations (Deepica Adhikri and Dipa Singh Shrestha, 2011). At present several government organizations, NGOs, farmers and entrepreneurs are involved in promotion of organic agriculture in Nepal. The market of organic agricultural product is increasing over the years in Nepal. At present it is assumed that organic products worth of at least 7 million US $ are sold per annum in Nepal and demand along with number of farmers involved in organic production are continuously ever increasing (S. Newa, 2011). This paper presents some of the instances of successful organic production system at farmers' level in Nepal.

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