Eye on agriculture

Many countries are already developed both in terms of their economy and society, while others are rapidly striving to catch up. But here in Nepal, we seem to be tip-toeing towards a so-called developed and “New Nepal”. While our wants are growing, even our basic needs are not met.  An example is the general neglect that agriculture has faced in a context of a growing desire for material wealth. 

Cultivable lands in urban areas and suburbs are rapidly being split-up and plotted to raise concrete structures on them. The rural population is migrating to the cities while the youth is flockto foreign lands in search of manual labour, leaving the villages’ youth-less. Once cultivated green fields of paddy, now lie barren. Little knowledge is evidently dangerous. At the same time, ample knowledge is also causing the youth to leave their villages in search of skilled labour. An educated person shouldn’t work on the fields, they say. Meanwhile, the ever-changing governments are too busy shuffling about their papers to notice what is going on. There is a fuel crisis. There is a gas crisis. There is a water crisis. The whole country it seems is in a state of perpetual crisis. Forget catching up in the race to prosperity, we are steadily decelerating.  


Agriculture, the main source of most Nepalis’ livelihood and backbone of Nepali culture and society, is being left way behind in this race, to the detriment of the people. Agriculture is not only the way of progress, but no one can disagree that in Nepal’s case; its development should be second to none as it holds the promise of real prosperity for all. Even considering industry, without agriculture, none of the raw materials necessary for production of goods, are available. Without the involvement of the Nepali youth in agriculture, neither is industrial development possible, nor will unemployment be resolved. 

Earning $200 a month in a foreign land can be a present success but, it is not sustainable in the long term. In fact, if agriculture is pursued scientifically, its dividends have the potential of being way more than the miserly $200 a month that many Nepali youth leave their country for. Little investment in our own land; growing vegetables, raising orchards, promoting floriculture and promoting agro forestry will go a long way. 

Commercial crops like cotton (white gold) in the western part of Nepal, tobacco for the international market, Jute in eastern part, tea and coffee are all currency whose value we are failing to realise. For example, sugarcane production not only solves sugar shortage, but the by-product of sugarcane after milling can even be used as fuel.

Ethyl alcohol is produced from molasses (sugarcane by-product) which is later blended with 10-20 percent petrol to make an excellent Bio-fuel. Brazil produces 11.7 billion liters of ethanol per annum to run about 6.5 million vehicles. Why can’t we? Likewise, bio-diesel from Jatropha is another possibility.

Our coffee and tea are of best standards in the world while the medicinal herbs in our country are internationally souyght-after. We just need to invest to properly utilize them. 

Agriculture not only promotes better living standards, but also promotes tourism; agri-tourism, eco-tourism. Wealth is all around us in the form of arable land. We just have to plant the seeds and a good germination will serve as well as a currency tree.

This post was originally appeared in The Kathmandu Post on: 2012-02-12 


Writer
Bala Ram Sapkota 
(Currently studying  at BSc.Ag 5th Semester, IAAS Rampur Campus)
Hemja-7,Kaski, Nepal
E-mail: <balaram.sapkota@gmail.com>