Constraints in deciduous fruit development in Nepal - Infrastructural Constraints

Almost all types of deciduous fruits are being grown in various parts of Nepal but it has not been demonstrated as an economic enterprise. This is because they are constrained by a number of factors which can be broadly categorized as a) Infrastructural, b) Physical and Environmental, c) Agronomical, d) Technical and e) Socio-economical.

a) Infrastructural Constraints

Deciduous fruit growing areas are situated in remote places in the mid and high mountains. These areas are not yet accessible to motorable roads and large markets, so farmers are facing big problems in selling their produce which discourages them from venturing into commercial production enterprises.

Essential inputs such as fertilizers, plant protection chemicals and horticulture tools etc. are not regularly available and on time, in these areas. Farmers have to depend upon compost and farmyard manures which are not readily available to fruit crops. As a result, fruit trees are nutrient deficient, untrained, unpruned and unprotected against diseases and pests. These are some of the causes for low yield and poor quality of these fruits.

Fruit cultivation requires large initial investment which the majority of Nepalese farmers cannot afford to make and have no access to any credit. Organized marketing channels, transportation, storage and processing facilities have not yet been developed in all deciduous fruit growing areas of the country. These are very important limiting factors that hamper profitable fruit farming in the country.[Source:http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/ab985e/ab9… ]