Crops and livestock special production zone scheme in Karnali’s 10 districts

The Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives has implemented the ‘crops and livestock special production zone programme’ from the current fiscal year.

The programme has been implemented in ten districts in the Karnali Province and it identifies special zones for various productions on the basis of geographical cluster. Rs 100 million has been allocated in the current fiscal to enforce the programme.

According to the information officer for the Ministry, Rambhakta Adhikari, the areas suggesting potentialities for specific crop production and livestock rearing technically were identified and chosen for the implementation of the programme. The programme aims to seek commercial promotion of agriculture and livestock development.

The programme has been implemented as a pilot project in the initial year.

The programme includes field-based capacity enhancement training for farmers, supports them in the marketing of the products, knowledge sharing on the significance of the use of organic fertilizer and use of biopesticides and biofertilisers among and other necessary assistance to farmers, it is said. Likewise, there is a policy of fixing a support price for agricultural produce before farming, according to Adhikari.

The Ministry has the goal of conserving and promoting the indigenous crops, increasing their production and extending support in the marketization.

Similarly, it is stated that the production and use of organic manure and fertilizers would be promoted. “The policy and programme have included the provision of determining the minimum support price of major agriculture produce before the cultivation of crops,” the Information Officer Adhikari said.

Likewise, the Ministry has stated that the programme’s objective is also to incorporate agricultural crops, livestock, fishery and agro-forestry-related enterprises. The programme also has the goal of promoting agricultural cultivation on uncultivated and unused land as well as encouraging land plotting for enhancing agriculture production.