Agriculture Promotion Project

Project Name: Agriculture Promotion Project

Project Implementation Area: Baiteshwor-5, Dolakha district

Background:

The wide range of topography, soil, and climate type available favors for farming of various types of crops in Nepal. People here have been practicing subsistence farming, mostly integrated with livestock. But the scenario is changing nowadays as some farmers have learned about commercial farming and have started to practice it as well. However, the outcomes and outputs have not been so satisfactory. One of the reasons for it is the lack of healthy seeds, fertilizers, modern tools, techniques, and irrigation facilities. Proper training and awareness together with the availability of the resources can bring a remarkable change in the agricultural sector as well as the economy of the country. 

Most of the people in Nepal go to foreign countries especially Gulf countries in search of jobs. It is because there is a lack of employment opportunities and even if the job is available, people are underpaid. This brings dissatisfaction and they start to look for better options, sometimes these options include moving to nearby towns and cities but most of the time it is going to abroad. This is the case in Baiteshwor as well. Physically active and strong ones are in foreign countries whereas children, women and senior citizens live in a village and involve in agricultural works. On top of that, they follow traditional methods of farming like ox-plowed fields, dependency on rainwater for irrigation. As a result, the yield is less in comparison to the hard work and patience invested. So, people lose their interest in agriculture and leave their land barren which compels them to depend on the market for food products that would have been grown organically otherwise.

Goals and Objectives:

Goals: 

• Developing scientific methods of agriculture and livestock farming will aid in bringing a new era of farming i.e. modern farming
• Developing agriculture as a source of income generation for 50 Households.

Objectives:

• Distribution of improved seeds (viable and vigorous seeds)
• Promote scientific approach of animal husbandry (e.g.: goat farming)
• Training and Awareness program for commercial agriculture and animal husbandry
• Training on compost manure  preparations
• Installation of the plastic tunnel for commercial vegetable farming
• Conduction of tree plantation programs and developments of cash crops, medicinal and aromatic plant farms by initially developing 3 pilot gardens for knowing the outputs. (The person who had helped on the conduction of the previous Tree plantation project shall be consulted for this project as well.)
• Establishment of the agriculture-based industry from the products of gardens and farms
• Development of small-scale irrigation canal by re-using the water used for domestic purposes after undergoing treatment procedure of purification. (Integration with WASH project)
• Development of small-scale irrigation canal by making boreholes where stream irrigation is not possible.
• Development of small-scale irrigation canal by re-using the water used for domestic purposes after undergoing treatment procedure of purification. (Integration with WASH project)

Steps and Methodology:

1. Baseline Study
2. Coordination and Collaboration with local government and farmer’s group
3. Proposal submission to donor
4. Approval of proposal from a donor agency
5. Co-ordination with Social Welfare Council for Project Implementation Approval
6. Implementation
7. Formation of Farmer’s Group
8. Monitoring and Evaluation regularly on behalf of Himalayan Care Hands by Mr. D.B. Dahal (Agriculture technician and government officer and local resident of Baiteshwor)
9. Reporting 
10. Follow-up

Expected Results:

• 5 days training on:
  • making compost manure for 50 Households
  • Use of 5 hand tractors to 5 representative farmers from the farmers’ group
• Seasonal seed distribution to 50 Households after training under the supervision of Agriculture expert Mr. D. B. Dahal 
• Goat distribution to about 50 families.
• Stream-based and Boring-based about 5 irrigation canals.
• 3 pilot gardens for cash and economically viable plants
• Farmers of the area are familiar with scientific and modern methods of farming.

Innovation:

Commercial farming of economical plants and the Purification of water from households for irrigation and artificial pond development is an innovative approaches to be implemented in this project.

Problems:

• Unavailability of healthy and improved seeds on time
• The traditional approach of agriculture and animal husbandry
• Shortage and unavailability of fertilizers on time
• Maximum utilization of Chemical fertilizer 
• Lack of commercial cash crop farms and techniques of its farming
• Lack of irrigation facility and dependence on rainwater for irrigation purposes

Project Cost:

The cost of the project is approximately 20,000 USD, a depth breakdown of which is given below: