Nepal: Chitwan leads the way in agriculture development

Farming in Chitwan has leapt from subsistence to commercialization in just over a decade. The district, which is regarded as the country´s poultry capital, is slowly becoming a leader in dairy, fishery, animal husbandry, banana farming, and organic fertilizers production. Though farming population is on a decline all over the country, number of farming households increased by 16,813 over the past decade to 88,242 in 2013.

Though total cultivated land area in the district has declined by 15 percent over the past 12 years, officials say production is on the rise due to commercial farming of many crops. They say the district is self-sufficient on different agro-products. It is also among the largest producers of poultry, milk, banana, fish, and vegetables, among others.

Former Finance Minister Surendra Pandey, who hails from Chitwan, said the district should now focus on quality production and explore overseas markets for its agro products. He also stressed on farm mechanization and urged farmers to make big investments. Pandey also suggested to the government to provide incentives to farmers and provide necessary facilities for agro-based industries.

Vegetables

Chitwan is one of the leaders in the country in vegetables production. Shaktikhor is popular for French beans, while Shivanagar, Managalpur and Fulbari are known for their organic farms.

Divyanagar is popular for radish and potato, while Padampur is a pocket area for mushroom production.

Santosh Raj Paudel, spokesperson of District Agricultural Development Office Chitwan, said the district produced 36 tons of vegetables in 6,375 hectares it the last fiscal year.

Statistics shows vegetables farming was done in only 1,367 13 years ago.

The district also boasts of five organic fertilizers industries. These industries have been playing a key role in reducing use of chemical fertilizers in local farms. Jagatpur-based Unique Biotech Organic Fertilizer Industry is preparing to start production in the near future. It has the capacity to produce 10 tons of organic fertilizer every day. The industry was established with a government grant worth around Rs 8.6 million.

Seed production

Chitwan is a pioneer in seed production. The district produced 3,504 tons of seeds of different varieties of crops, beans and vegetables in the last fiscal year, according to District Agricultural Development Office.

More than 1,800 farmers in the district are involved in seed production.

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