FARMERS TO KITCHEN DIRECTLY (FATKI)

FARMER TO KITCHEN DIRECTLY (FATKI)

Agriculture is the major support of Nepal's economy, providing livelihoods for the majority of its population and contributing significantly 25-30% to the country's GDP. Despite its importance, Nepal's agricultural sector faces various challenges and marketing issues including low productivity, dependence on traditional farming methods, and vulnerability to climate change.

Key Attribute of Agriculture in Nepal

Traditional methods, livelihood farming, crops, geographical variations, challenges. Where the majority of farmers practice support farming to produce enough products to meet household needs and surplus sold to market. Farmers from different territory grown crops like rice, maize, and wheat in the monsoon season, cash crops like sugarcane, jute, tobacco, tea, cardamom, ginger, and coffee as high-value export crops and fruits/vegetables like oranges, lemons, apples, strawberry, various vegetables, depending on the climate.

Whereas due to topography diversification Terai is known as country’s grain basket, while mountains and hilly region are more suited to livestock and horticulture. Most farmers use traditional methods of farming with limited access to modern technology, fertilizers, or improved seeds and with dependent on the monsoon rains for irrigation, making the agricultural output less productive.

Challenges and Government initiatives

Nepal’s agricultural productivity is relatively low compared to other South Asian countries. This is due to factors like poor access to irrigation, lack of mechanization, soil degradation, and limited use of improved seeds and fertilizers. Along with climatic changes and fragmentation of land have vulnerable impacts in Nepal’s agriculture.

The Nepalese government has introduced various programs like ADS (Agriculture Development Strategy) for long-term plan in the sector through modernization, commercialization, ensure food security and rural development. Along with promotion of irrigation, subsidies for fertilizers and seeds, agriculture mechanization etc. are polices maintain.

Prospective for Growth

In the contest to improve Nepal’s agricultural sector by adopting modern farming techniques, improving access to irrigation, and diversifying into high-value crops like organic tea, coffee, and spices. There is also an opportunity to develop agro-tourism, leveraging the country’s rich biodiversity and traditional farming practices.

Nevertheless challenges while agriculture remains crucial to Nepal’s economy and rural livelihoods, it requires modernization, investment in infrastructure, and climate adaptation strategies to overcome its challenges and achieve sustainable growth. So, we are introducing web and mobile base App (FATKI) to support farmers and their products regardless of geographical challenges, digitalized the access to the farmers to kitchen directly.