Traditional but organic farming in Nepal

By Sagar Saud

Nepal is a country of villages. It has an agricultural economy. More than 66% of the population do and farming. Except in some terrain area, people in inner terrain, hilly and himali belt do farming in a traditional way- that is plough by oxen (Halo Falo) and digging with spade (kuto, Kodalo). 

It is because mainly of geographical factor and secondly lack of modern agricultural technology to low income holding farmers. But now small hand tractors with government subsidy are also being used to farming in inner terrain and hilly regions.

Livestock, organic farming and livelihood

Farmers in villages use animal dung, tree leafs and straw as a fertilizer for organic farming. Most of the villages farmers do not use market fertilizers even urea.  So that they eat fresh and healthy vegetable and grains.

They keep livestock like cows, oxen, buffalo, goat, yak and chauri in mountain, sheep, hens, pigs for fertilizer and for their livelihood. They make salt and oil by selling milk, ghee, eggs, cheese and meat.

                                              

In hilly and himali region, the production of main crops like rice, wheat, maize and millet is low because of infertile land, lack of irrigation and dependence on mansoon. It is difficult for them to sustain half a year by their own production. T'hat's why, most of the unemployed youths from villages go to India and Gulf countries for earnings.

Farmer ploughing field in Jogbudha, Dadeldhura, Nepal

                                                      Agro-biodiversity

Nepal is rich with agro-biodiversity. Rice, wheat, maize, millet, barley etc are main crops. Vegetables, and lentils are freshly produced in own field. Sugarcane, cotton, jute, tobacco, oil seeds,  potato, cauliflower and other green vegetables are cash crops in terrain and hilly land. Mango, papaya, apple, orange, peach, plum, lichi, banana, lemon, okhar, and many other are main fruits find here.

Traditionally farming, lack of moderns farming tools, lack of irrigation in hilly and himali region, dependence on mansoon rain for ploughing and irrigation are some major causes of low food production in hilly and himali region. The government of Nepal with national and international non-governmental agencies is doing its best to solve the problems agricultural sector.

Spreading fertilizer before ploughing the field