The mid-hill region of Nepal—which comprises around 42 percent of the country's land area—includes a wide range of micro-climatic conditions, from warm subtropical to warm temperate. Forty three percent people live in the region where mountain peaks range up to 2,000 meters, with narrow river valleys. Higher peaks receive occasional snow fall; lower parts receive some frost in winter, which damages the crops.Quality of soil varies as well. The southern region has a prominent belt of mountains known as Mahabharath Lekh with deeply weathered granite, limestone, dolomite, shale, sandstone, slate and quartzite formations. Subtropical dense forests make for non-agricultural land. Growing population pressure has led to deforestation and increase in cultivation, beyond the regeneration capacity of soil in hilly areas. Social infrastructures and human settlements are scattered here and there. This adds to the challenge of farming in upland areas.
Although subsistence agriculture is undergoing transformation in some pocket areas of mid-hills and more are benefiting from crop diversification, horticulture and cash crops, commercial farming is far from the norm. There are many reasons for this: policymakers are not sensitive to specific conditions of the hills, degradation of natural resources, destruction of agricultural lands in over 30 districts from recent earthquakes, and inappropriate farming techniques.
There is high risk in hill agriculture, if crops are not properly selected. Most cultivation areas have been used haphazardly, with little regard to productivity and erodibility. Most farming activities ignore soil conservation practices. Therefore entrepreneurs hesitate to invest in agriculture in hilly areas. Soil erosion, sedimentation, landslides, low water-holding capacity, flood hazards, chemical pollution, and poor water quality are other concerns. The practice of growing annual crops on sloppy lands has negative impact on both production and environment.
Declining soil fertility is a major problem in Nepal's upland farming systems. Farmers have rotated their crops on the same pieces of land for over 100 years, giving the land very little time to rest. Nutrient depletion and decline in fertility have thus appeared as major problems in the country as a whole, and hilly regions in particular. High rainfall coupled with steep slope cultivation, loss of tree cover, forest burning and earthquakes have led to soil erosion, landslides and land cracking.
But the productivity can be increased in these areas with the right choice of technology and wise selection of crops and cultivation methods. Selection of environment friendly crops is a prerequisite for making hill farming profitable and sustainable. Equally important is transparent and well-articulated policy for upland resource use.
Improving farming on sloping farmlands has never been a priority in Nepal. As a result there has been lack of technological options for sustainable and productive farming in hilly areas. The hill environment is fragile so a great deal of care is advised. Otherwise the quality of soil rapidly degrades. So there is an urgent need for targeted research on hill farming.
We need new programs on soil conservation, cropping patterns and irrigation and drainage systems. National, provincial and local governments should come up with specific policies, strategies and programs to facilitate diversification of hill farming from subsistence-based to production of horticultural crops based on comparative advantages. Focus should be on perennial crops such as fruit crops, tea, coffee, medicinal plants, sea buckthorn, fodder trees, bamboo etc.
Besides staple crops, the sloppy farms should include grass to cover ground with dense foliage to reduce soil erosion. In order to increase productivity in uplands through soil and moisture conservation, practices like bench terraces, composting, contour tillage/planting, crop rotation, diversion ditches and drop structures can be adopted.
Sustainable hill farming needs cooperation and integration of different ministries, such as agriculture development, livestock development, irrigation, forestry and land reform. Hill agriculture will play an important role in ensuring food security in the years to come. We can do this through decentralized and innovative approaches to crop diversification.
bhairabr@gmail.com
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