Scope issues and promotion mechanism of Agri inputs in Nepal

1. Suresh Simkhada
MSc. Agribusiness Management

2. ➢Direct selling:
✓Increasing agricultural commercialization and
demand of agri-inputs
✓Government policies and plans
(ADS,15th interim plan,Agriculture mechanization
policy,Agribusiness promotion policy,
National agriculture policy,National seed vision)
➢Government projects and tenders:
✓PMAMP
✓KUBK, ASDP, PPCR, RISMFP
✓Programs of province and local governments
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S.
N
Inputs Import value
(NPR million)
1 Vegetable
seeds
553.08 (60%)
2 Maize
seeds
393.16 (30% and 15%
paddy)
3 Pesticides 840
4 Organic
fertilizer
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Source: Department of customs, 2018

3. ➢I/NGOs tenders:
✓USAID- KISAN, PAHAL, SABAL, Suaahara
✓IFAD- Sambridhi
✓HELVETAS, World vision
✓Heifer International Nepal,WINROCK International
✓CEAPRED, LI-BIRD, FORWARD Nepal, CARITAS
✓Good neighbor, CARE Nepal etc.
➢Cooperatives and farmer’s groups:
✓Sana Kisan Samuha and many Krishi Sahakari
➢Export:
▪ KUBK, National seed vision, agribusiness promotion policy has promoted the export of agr-
products. At present also some seed companies are involved in export of seeds.
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4. ▪ Unstable demand and inadequate market information:
Demand varies with season, climate and time which is unpredictable.
Similarly, lack of information on demand and supply of agri- inputs; no reliable
source for market information.
▪ Higher transportation loss and marketing cost:
Bad condition of roads causes huge loss during transportation, huge investment on
storage houses and storage loss, large marketing organization and staffs in rural
marketing.
▪ Inferior quality of products and fraud:
Crop failure due to inferior quality of the inputs and decreasing faith of farmers in
commercial seeds and fertilizer.
DY 69 Chinese paddy variety failure- Bhaktapur(2013)
Sandhya, Rajkumar & X 92 Indian maize variety empty cob- Nepal (2014)
Garima paddy variety failure- 2019 ( another variety in name of Garima)
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5. ▪ Unhealthy competition between sellers:
Many large groups are involved in marketing and there is unhealthy
competition between them. (Karma group, Golyan group, BTL trading,
SAI; Shrestha Agri inputs,Tripathi group)
▪ High cost on variety registration and marketing:
there is high cost for variety registration and fulfilling legal procedure for marketing
of agricultural inputs.
▪ Imperfect information:
Inadequate communication infrastructure for marketing, language and dialects vary
widely from state to state, region to region but labelling in English and foreign
languages.
▪ Unauthorized/ illegal import and marketing of agri-inputs:
MS-42 variety of potato is not registered in Nepal but it covers 80% of area in potato
Zone Nuwakot.
Sona Mansuli and Katarni variety of paddy is cultivated in eastern terai districts due
to illegal marketing.
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6. ➢Institutional promotion:
✓Sponsoring/ hosting
Trade fair, Exhibitions,
Krishi mela/Mahotsab etc.
➢Products promotion:
✓Branding and advertise on mass media,
radio,TV, Newspaper, Social media etc.
✓Hoarding boards
✓Field demonstration and trials
✓Training to farmers through co-operatives and farmers groups
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7. ➢Sales promotion:
✓Collaborating with online sales platform-
Krishi bazar, Sastodeal,Daraz, Krishi guru,
Smart Krishi etc.
✓Collaborating with cooperatives and local governments,projects
✓Providing incentives and greater margins to retailer and dealer
✓Buying allowance and bulk purchase deals
✓Giving targets and schemes to sellers
✓Free Technical support
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8. ✓Free sample distribution
✓Innovative packing-
information, user manual and labeling in Nepali, attractive pictures
✓Financing service in machinery and home delivery
✓Contests and content writing on social media
✓Organizing Customer Appreciation Events,
✓After sales service and warranty etc.
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