KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment has issued the National Agriculture Policy, 2083 with the objective of making Nepal’s agriculture sector modern, commercial, competitive, and self-reliant.
Prepared in line with the federal governance system, the policy gives top priority to food security, food sovereignty, increasing farmers’ income, boosting agricultural production, reducing imports, and promoting agricultural exports.
Speaking about the policy, Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment Gita Chaudhary said it was introduced to build a sustainable and production-oriented agricultural system and address the existing challenges facing the sector.
The policy includes provisions aimed at tackling problems such as land fragmentation, the growing area of barren land, inadequate irrigation and storage infrastructure, youth migration, the impacts of climate change, low productivity, and increasing dependence on imports.
It also emphasizes achieving self-sufficiency in basic food items, promoting agricultural commercialization and industrialization, and expanding the presence of Nepali agricultural products in international markets through branding and market promotion.
In addition, the policy calls for the development of an environmentally friendly agricultural system, protection of biodiversity, and the integration of digital agricultural technology, local knowledge, and innovation into agricultural development.
Priority areas include increasing production and productivity, promoting inclusive agricultural mechanization, conserving and utilizing land, expanding agricultural research and technology, ensuring minimum support prices, strengthening agricultural insurance, providing concessional agricultural loans, improving food hygiene and nutrition security, and establishing agriculture as a dignified profession.
According to the ministry, the policy also provides for effective coordination among the federal, provincial, and local governments, along with necessary legal and institutional arrangements, adequate financial resources, private sector participation, and regular monitoring and evaluation for effective implementation.
The ministry expressed confidence that effective implementation of the National Agriculture Policy, 2083 would contribute significantly to employment generation, import substitution, growth in agricultural exports, and the building of a prosperous national economy.
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