Importance and scope of vegetables production in Nepal
Importance of vegetable
Human nutrition: vegetable are considered as main component of human balance diet since the time immemorial.
Source of supplementary income: vegetable production makes effective use of land. Generally vegetable crops are short duration crop and 3-4 crops can be harvested in a year from same land.
Employment importance: Vegetable production are more labor intensive than other agricultural production so more farmers can be employed.
Important for Nepali farmers: As in Nepal majority of the farmers fall in marginal categories and vegetable production can be done in small marginal lands.
Export potential: vegetable production have great export potential as Nepal is surrounded by two densely populated country India and china.So vegetable can be easily exported when its demand is high.
Agrobased industries importance: It supports development of different Agrobased industries as many vegetables like tomato,pea etc are raw material.
Role in National economy
Medicinal importance: vegetables are source of hormone and ferments. Like potato contains ferment amylase, radish contains ferment peroxide, garlic contain 15 different types of antioxidant
Scope of vegetable production are given below
Agro climatic importance: Nepal’s climate topography is suitable for all types of vegetable production so different vegetables according to climate feasibility can be cultivated.
Increase in demand: Currently vegetables aviability in Nepal is only 195 gm which is very less than daily requirement 375gm so its demand is increasing.
Economic importance: vegetable crop give 5-10 more yield compared to cereal and higher return.
Short duration: Generally vegetable crops are short duration therefore more number of crops can be grown in a short period
Unemployed farmers: Nepal is agricultural country and so many farmers can be easily employed in this vegetable production as this is labor intensive.
Effective use of land: vegetable production can make effective use of land through proper crop rotation involving leguminous vegetables like cowpea and other.
Export potential: There are good potential for export of off season vegetable and vegetable seeds when demand is high.
Change in consumers behavior: Nowadays peoples are aware to eat balance diet and healthy organic food so this also increases the scope of kitchen gardening and vegetable farming in Nepal.
Constraints of vegetable production in Nepal
Disease sensitive: Most of the vegetable crops are highly disease, insect and pest sensitive and still there are no any control measures to control measures to control viral diseases.
Seasonal fluctuations: vegetable production are very sensitive to seasons so fluctuations in season affect supply of vegetable and hence price gets affected.
Sensitive to alkalinity and alkalinity: A large number of vegetable are sensitive to alkalinity and salinity so they cannot be grown in those area
No proper irrigation: In many areas of Nepal there are no proper irrigation so vegetable are not grown successfully.
Lack of proper seed: unavailability of high yielding seed in different places of Nepal also affect vegetable production.
Lack of Post harvest management: absence of proper post harvest technology leads to destruction in quality of vegetable and hence its cost.
No proper research: There is no proper research for resistant varieties for major affecting disease and problems in specific area of Nepal.
Lack of proper POP: there is no proper training, information etc given to Nepali farmers regarding POP of different vegetables.
Present situation of vegetable production in Nepal
In this today’s era of diversification farmers are shifting traditional subsistence agriculture to commercial agriculture. This make farmers to adopt vegetable farming and it is increasing with time in Nepal.
According to MOAD Nepal 2015/16 the percentage increase in area, production and productivity of vegetable in 2015/16 compared to 1991/92 is 100%,248% and 74% respectively. Average productivity of vegetable from 1991/92 to 2015/16 was 11.09 Mt/ha as shown in fig 1 graph.
By realizing it’s importance the Agriculture perspective plan (APP) has targeted the growth rate of horticulture GDP to 5.5% per annum and growth rate of vegetable GDP to 5.42% per annum. Among the horticultural crop vegetable sector has much contribution to horticultural GDP. At present more than two hundred vegetable species are grown in different climatic zones of Nepal with production of 3,301,6484 Mt with an average yield of 13.40 mt/ha(MOAD, 2012/13). In Nepal offseason vegetable has played a vital role contributing to rise in economic status of farmers in hilly area. Although Terai region produces and sell more vegetable ,vegetables grown in hilly region have greater value as these vegetable are produced during the rainy season when prices are higher.
Human nutrition: vegetable are considered as main component of human balance diet since the time immemorial.
Source of supplementary income: vegetable production makes effective use of land. Generally vegetable crops are short duration crop and 3-4 crops can be harvested in a year from same land.
Employment importance: Vegetable production are more labor intensive than other agricultural production so more farmers can be employed.
Important for Nepali farmers: As in Nepal majority of the farmers fall in marginal categories and vegetable production can be done in small marginal lands.
Export potential: vegetable production have great export potential as Nepal is surrounded by two densely populated country India and china.So vegetable can be easily exported when its demand is high.
Agrobased industries importance: It supports development of different Agrobased industries as many vegetables like tomato,pea etc are raw material.
Role in National economy
Medicinal importance: vegetables are source of hormone and ferments. Like potato contains ferment amylase, radish contains ferment peroxide, garlic contain 15 different types of antioxidant
Scope of vegetable production are given below
Agro climatic importance: Nepal’s climate topography is suitable for all types of vegetable production so different vegetables according to climate feasibility can be cultivated.
Increase in demand: Currently vegetables aviability in Nepal is only 195 gm which is very less than daily requirement 375gm so its demand is increasing.
Economic importance: vegetable crop give 5-10 more yield compared to cereal and higher return.
Short duration: Generally vegetable crops are short duration therefore more number of crops can be grown in a short period
Unemployed farmers: Nepal is agricultural country and so many farmers can be easily employed in this vegetable production as this is labor intensive.
Effective use of land: vegetable production can make effective use of land through proper crop rotation involving leguminous vegetables like cowpea and other.
Export potential: There are good potential for export of off season vegetable and vegetable seeds when demand is high.
Change in consumers behavior: Nowadays peoples are aware to eat balance diet and healthy organic food so this also increases the scope of kitchen gardening and vegetable farming in Nepal.
Constraints of vegetable production in Nepal
Disease sensitive: Most of the vegetable crops are highly disease, insect and pest sensitive and still there are no any control measures to control measures to control viral diseases.
Seasonal fluctuations: vegetable production are very sensitive to seasons so fluctuations in season affect supply of vegetable and hence price gets affected.
Sensitive to alkalinity and alkalinity: A large number of vegetable are sensitive to alkalinity and salinity so they cannot be grown in those area
No proper irrigation: In many areas of Nepal there are no proper irrigation so vegetable are not grown successfully.
Lack of proper seed: unavailability of high yielding seed in different places of Nepal also affect vegetable production.
Lack of Post harvest management: absence of proper post harvest technology leads to destruction in quality of vegetable and hence its cost.
No proper research: There is no proper research for resistant varieties for major affecting disease and problems in specific area of Nepal.
Lack of proper POP: there is no proper training, information etc given to Nepali farmers regarding POP of different vegetables.
Present situation of vegetable production in Nepal
In this today’s era of diversification farmers are shifting traditional subsistence agriculture to commercial agriculture. This make farmers to adopt vegetable farming and it is increasing with time in Nepal.
According to MOAD Nepal 2015/16 the percentage increase in area, production and productivity of vegetable in 2015/16 compared to 1991/92 is 100%,248% and 74% respectively. Average productivity of vegetable from 1991/92 to 2015/16 was 11.09 Mt/ha as shown in fig 1 graph.
By realizing it’s importance the Agriculture perspective plan (APP) has targeted the growth rate of horticulture GDP to 5.5% per annum and growth rate of vegetable GDP to 5.42% per annum. Among the horticultural crop vegetable sector has much contribution to horticultural GDP. At present more than two hundred vegetable species are grown in different climatic zones of Nepal with production of 3,301,6484 Mt with an average yield of 13.40 mt/ha(MOAD, 2012/13). In Nepal offseason vegetable has played a vital role contributing to rise in economic status of farmers in hilly area. Although Terai region produces and sell more vegetable ,vegetables grown in hilly region have greater value as these vegetable are produced during the rainy season when prices are higher.
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