Department of Agriculture

Nepal is an agricultural country with 3 regions, namely Terai, Hilly, and Mountain. About >65% of the Nepalese are engaged in agriculture. The land of Terai is very much fertile and productive. Farmers in this region primarily grow rice, wheat, maize, millet, legumes, oilseeds, fruits, and vegetables in fields. Because of poor agricultural skills and techniques, the Nepalese farmers are not able to get higher yields which they expected. In addition, the erratic pattern of rainfall and the increasing temperature has affected the growth of crops. The emergence of new diseases and pests, weeds, lack of agricultural tools, sufficient human resources are some of the major causes for reducing yields. Farmers in Terai have overused and misused chemical pesticides that are highly toxic in nature. Therefore, PSD-Nepal is aimed to support rural farmers by providing on-site agricultural training on crop development, quality seeds for better production, and idea for controlling diseases and insects in a sustainable way. PSD-Nepal conducts eco-friendly activities for sustainable agriculture and development. To ensure food safety in the country, we monitor residues of chemical pesticides in different food commodities either grown in Nepal or imported from abroad.
Our latest research on the perspective of pesticide use among farmers and retailers in Nepal:
Factors affecting pesticide safety behavior: The perceptions of Nepalese farmers and retailers. Science of The Total Environment 2018; 631-632: 1560-1571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.144