SATNET intraregional visit participants learn about innovative production, marketing and community mobilization practices in Nepal

On the second day of the SATNET Intraregional Visit for Smallholder Value Chain Actors in South Asia, taking place in Nepal, the participants were exposed to an interesting marketing model for agricultural inputs that is being promoted by iDE Nepal through financial and technical support under its ‘Challenge Fund’ initiative. ‘Agrovets’ or private agricultural input suppliers who usually market their products only from their shops, have engaged ‘Community Business Facilitators’ (CBFs) who are members of the local community. The CBFs act as sales agents and undertake marketing of the inputs directly at the village level, gaining a commission from the proceeds. This has been a win-win model for all, with the Agrovet achieving increased sales of upto four times as a result of better marketing outreach, the CBFs obtaining additional income from their commission, and the farmers gaining access to good quality seeds/inputs which are delivered on time right at their doorsteps. The fact that the CBFs are chosen from the local community itself promotes trust and assurance against any fraudulent practices or cheating. The Challenge Fund has supported training and awareness building activities for farmers, thus strengthening the model.

  

Treadle pump

Off-season vegetable production

The visiting group interacted with members of the Sagarmatha Farmer Group in Nawalparasi district which is practising IPM for vegetable production. Based on a collective assessment of market demand, the group develops a participatory production plan that specifies the vegetables to be grown by group members, how much area to be devoted to each crop, which varieties to use etc. in order to help optimize profit. The group saw off-season (rainy season) production of vegetables like brinjal on raised bunds to protect the crop from waterlogging. It also observed use of Treadle Pump which is a low-cost irrigation technology introduced by iDE in Nepal from Bangladesh. Over time, iDE has been able to scale up the off-season vegetable production and Treadle Pump technologies in this area. On their part, in the context of IPM, one of the participants from Pakistan shared his knowledge about how to prepare a low-cost botanical pesticide using Neem tree kernels.  

The visitors had an in-depth interaction with the local Marketing and Planning Committee (MPC) of vegetable growers in Devgaun VDC, which has won an award from the Nepalese Government. The role of the MPC is collection of the produce from members and providing backward and forward/marketing linkages. The coordination of production and marketing through the MPC enables the growers to bargain better with traders to realize higher prices. They also receive some insurance and training support from the MPC. Once again, the visitors were able to provide numerous suggestions to the MPC to enhance its services such as utilizing Information and Communication Technology (eg. SMS) to disseminate information about market prices to members.

Observing oil distillation unit

Towards the end of the day, the group visited the Chisapani Community Forestry Group which is operating an Oil Distillation Unit for Methanol, lemon grass and other oils. The Unit sources raw material from a women’s community group that cultivates these crops on otherwise fallow community-owned land. Apart from providing additional income to the women and the community, this technology helps in carbon sequestration through agro-forestry. The group also visited a farm machinery Local Service Provider (LSP) to learn about use of Zero Till Seed Drill (requiring less water), Laser Land Leveller and Bed Maker, and observed Direct Seeded Rice technology vis-à-vis the conventional rice production technique.