Problems of Modernization of Agriculture in Nepal

Modernization of agriculture refers to the work of farming in such a way that agricultural production increases by using improved seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural tools, technology, irrigation facilities according to needs, and skilled manpower. 

Modernization of agriculture is the work of transforming the current traditional and subsistence-oriented agricultural system into a commercial one. This includes work from soil testing to planting crops, caring for them, storing them, determining quality, and managing the market.

Nepal's agricultural system is traditional and subsistence-oriented. It is necessary to modernize and commercialize agriculture to increase agricultural production and improve the living standards of the people.

It is the need of the hour to make the country self-reliant in food by increasing agricultural production in proportion to the population growth by planting diverse crops instead of just one crop according to the soil and climate. 

There is also a great possibility of earning good income by exporting surplus agricultural products after domestic consumption. However, despite the agricultural sector being in the priority sector of the government in planned development, the problems of this sector have not been significantly resolved yet.

The problems of modernization of agriculture in Nepal are as follows:

(a) Lack of Irrigation Facilities: Most of the agricultural land in Nepal lacks irrigation facilities. Due to this, farmers have not been able to invest. Production is low due to the lack of irrigation, so the modernization of agriculture has not been possible. Most of Nepal's agriculture is dependent on monsoon rains. Production needs to be according to the season, otherwise, production will be low.

(b) Use of Agricultural Land for Housing: The planned development of agricultural land in the country has not been possible. While agricultural land should be used for agricultural production, the work of using it for settlement development and housing has been increasing. This has created problems in the modernization of agriculture.

(c) Low Productivity: Productivity is low in Nepal due to the lack of commercialization of agriculture. Due to this, farmers have not been able to invest. Production is also low due to the lack of adequate availability of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and improved seeds and tools.

(d) Underemployment: Since only one food crop is mainly grown in Nepal's agricultural system, the population involved in it is active only for about five months. The rest of the time they are unemployed, so the problem of underemployment is seen. With the increasing population, the number of people dependent on it is also increasing, which has led to an increase in unemployment.

(e) Traditional Agricultural System: Even today, in some places in the Terai region of Nepal, some farmers have started using modern tools. But when looking at the whole country, our agricultural system is still based on traditional methods.

(f) Lack of Organized Market: Due to the inconvenience of transportation and the lack of access to markets for farmers in all places, agricultural production has not been able to get a proper market. Due to this, farmers do not get the value for their labor and effort, and the enthusiasm to work is also decreasing. There is a lack of a system for farmers to store their produce and sell it at the appropriate time.

(g) Lack of Transportation: Due to the difficulty of transportation in Nepal, on the one hand, necessary inputs for agriculture have not been able to reach their villages and communities on time, and on the other hand, farmers have faced difficulties in bringing the produce they have produced to the market. The difficulty of transportation remains the main problem in this regard.

(h) Lack of Research: There is a lack of organized research in the agricultural sector in our country. Result-oriented research on what kind of farming to do in which place, what kind of fruits to plant in which place, etc., has not been possible. Production has not been able to increase due to the lack of research on topics such as what is the market for agricultural products and where is its market.

Solutions to the Problems of Agricultural Modernization

The agricultural sector is the main foundation of the economic development of our country. Although Nepal's development plans have given priority to agriculture, the problems seen in this sector have not been resolved. Only if the problems in this sector can be resolved will agricultural production increase and contribute more to the national income. This will help make the country prosperous.

(a) Arrangement of Irrigation Facilities in Agricultural Land: There should be irrigation facilities in agricultural land as per the need for production. This will make it possible to produce two or three crops instead of just one crop. This will increase production and income. Since this will benefit both farmers and the government, irrigation facilities should be made available in all places.

(b) Prevention of Using Agricultural Land for Housing and Other Sectors: In Nepal, the trend of building residential houses on agricultural land has increased recently. This has led to a decrease in the country's agricultural production, creating a situation of food shortage. Therefore, agricultural land should be identified across the country, and arrangements should be made to use that land only for farming.

(c) Development and Expansion of Agricultural Roads/Transportation: If easy access to roads and transportation can be provided in places where agricultural production takes place, farmers will be able to transport their produce to the market easily. For this, the development and expansion of roads should be done even at the local level.

(d) Arrangement of Agricultural Markets and Warehouses: Since farmers want to sell their produce at a fair price, arrangements for local-level haat bazaars (weekly markets) should be made. Similarly, there should be arrangements to store the produced goods in warehouses and sell them at the right price at the right time.

(e) Commercializing Agriculture and Increasing Productivity: In the current situation where farmers are only producing goods needed for themselves and their families, there is a lack of awareness about commercializing agriculture. Farmers should be trained and made aware about which crops to plant, which will yield more profit, which crop will have higher production, etc. The process of earning more profit from one's production is commercialization. Therefore, agriculture should be commercialized. Similarly, emphasis should be placed on modernization by using modern inputs in agriculture.

(f) Subsidized Loans and Grants: Since a large amount of money is required for agricultural inputs and tools needed for farmers, arrangements should be made for farmers to get subsidized loans as per their needs. Since loans taken from local moneylenders are expensive, there should be arrangements for the government to provide subsidized loans and grants.

(g) Study and Research: Continuous study and research are needed for the planned and scientific development of the agricultural sector in Nepal. Investment made without research is likely to go to waste, so farmers should be able to feel that their investment is secure.