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 1.1 General
Nepal is a small, landlocked country between China and India. It contains 8 of the top 10 highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga. A July 2007 estimate of Nepal’s population stands at approximately 28,901,790.
In Nepal, agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for three-fourths of the population and accounting for 38% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest.
1.2 Tenth Five Year Plan
* Poverty alleviation- main goal
* Agricultural mechanization policy- not mentioned in the plan.
* Commercialization and modernization of agriculture emphasized
1.3 New Agricultural Policy
* Encourage farmers to take part in commercial farming
* Establishment of the land bank to provide long-term loans for farmers to purchase land
* Recognition of agro-processing companies as key players to promote agriculture
* Special attention given to nurture investment of the private sector on contract farming and leasehold farming
1.4 Status of Agricultural Mechanization
* Human labor is the main source of power in the hills.
* Mechanical power is replacing animal power in Terai.
* Agricultural mechanization in Nepal is in its infancy, however, combine harvesters and power rice transplanters have been recently introduced.
* Blacksmiths are the primary suppliers of manual and AD-implementation.
* More than 85% of tools used by the farmers in hilly areas are made/repaired by the blacksmiths and rural artisans.
* Total mechanical power available is only about 0.23 kW/ha, which is 35.5% of the country's total farm power.
1.5 Constraints for Agricultural Mechanization
1.5.1 Physical constraints
* Rugged terrain and narrow terraces in the hills and mountains
* Lack of infrastructures viz. road network, electricity etc.
* Small & fragmented land holdings.
1.5.2 Technological Constraints
* Lack of technical know-how
* Delayed availability of spare parts
* Lack of training for operation & repair maintenance of farm machinery
* Inadequate facilities for servicing & repairs.
* Lack of appropriate tools and machines
1.5.3 Institutional Constraints
* Lack of organizational set up for cooperative use of most farm machinery
* Lack of government policy to promote investment in farm machinery manufacture
* Lack of institutions to undertake machinery testing, quality control and standardization
1.5.4 Capital Constraints
* High cost of agricultural machinery operation & maintenance
* Farming communities dominated by small holders
* Subsistence level of farming
* Lack of easy assess to credit
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Area:
total: 147,181 sq km
land: 143,181 sq km
water: 4,000 sq km
Climate:
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Terrain:
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m
Natural resources:
quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 0.85%
other: 83.08% (2005)
Irrigated Land:
11,700 sq km (2003)
Natural Hazards:
severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
Current environmental issues:
deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions
Land holding size:
Average size of farm holding: |
0.96 ha (0.68 ha for mountain, 0.77 ha for hill, 1.26 ha for terai) |
Average no. of parcels/holding: |
4.0 |
Average parcel size: |
0.24 ha |
Land Use Pattern:
| a) Agriculture Cultivated land |
21% |
b) Agriculture Uncultivated land |
7% |
c) Forest |
29% |
d) Shrub land |
10.6% |
e) Grassland and pasture |
12% |
f) Water |
2.6% |
g) Others |
17.8% |
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