For Environment, Democracy and Livelihoods
On 15th July 2024, Monday, ForestAction Nepal, the secretariat of the Alliance of Agriculture for Food (AAF) in collaboration with the Association of Nepalese Agricultural Journalists (ANAJ) organized an interaction program on “Challenges on implementation of agricultural plans and policies” in the Department of Agriculture, Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur. The main agenda of the interaction program was to discuss the allocation of budget in the agriculture sector and challenges in the implementation of plans and policies for fiscal year 2081/82. The program was attended by parliamentarians, government officials, academicians, civil society actors, farmers, activists, media personnel, and students.
Major concerns/issues presented in the program
▪ Allocation of 60% of the budget to import chemical fertilizers,
▪ Low allocation of budget in agricultural research,
▪ Declaration of Agriculture investment decade 2081/91 but no investment framework, and priority areas for investment,
▪ Challenges in creating an investment-friendly environment in the agricultural sector,
▪ Land classification, conservation, and utilization,
▪ Low agricultural production and productivity,
▪ Timely unavailability of agricultural input,
▪ Low attraction of youth in agriculture,
▪ Importance of utilization of barren land and promoting sustainable agriculture,
▪ Necessity of developing warehouse receipt financing,
▪ Sugarcane, fruits, vegetable, aromatic rice cultivation, crop pooling and land pooling, and contract farming promotion centric budget and programs.
