Now with this bumper output the country can effectively fight the food shortages that have hit the remote hill districts from time to time. As the per capita rice output for this year is set to exceed the per capita requirement, it should help replace imports and also give a boost to exports. This will greatly relieve a country that has been reeling under a huge trade deficit. The bumper harvest has also paved the way for farmers to enjoy better returns.
But such good results will not come automatically. The state must put in place an effective distribution mechanism so that the robust output recorded in the major production pockets finds its way into food deficit districts. Likewise, the state along with the private sector must work to make sure that the excess output finds markets overseas like in Bangladesh and Tibet. This is crucial to maintain a demand-supply balance and prevent prices from getting squeezed. The state apparatus with its customs and revenue squads must check smuggling in of cheaper supplies from India, again to ensure that prices are not squeezed. This is critical because if farmers do not get a good return even with the best of harvests, it will only push them off the farm. This has happened in the past and must be avoided in future.
As paddy occupies some 21 percent of the total agricultural gross domestic product (GDP), an around 14 percent rise in its output and also some 9 percent appreciation in the market value of paddy are going to impact overall GDP immensely. National Planning Commission and government officials are already boasting of attaining higher economic growth.
But we would like to tell the jubilant policy-makers and officials that it is not them but the poor farmers of Nepal who deserve a pat on their back for this rosy outlook. People at the helm at ministries like Agriculture and Irrigation have been involved in corruption and never bothered about enhancing farmers’ access to irrigation facilities.
Short supply of seeds and fertilizers continue to hit farmers whenever they need these inputs the most. The ongoing struggle of farmers in the far and mid-west regions to get hold of fertilizers is just a glimpse of the mess that prevails in the market. Still, except for suggesting to farmers to commercialize their farms, the government has done precious little to support the growth and development of agriculture that still employs the biggest chunk of Nepali manpower. Hence, we urge the government to correct its priorities and take concrete initiatives to ease the lives of farmers and develop the farming sector. This is imperative if we are to attain socio-economic stability and sustainable peace.
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