Agriculture in Nepal 

Agriculture is the science, art, or occupation concerned with cultivating land, producing crops, and feeding, breeding, and raising livestock; to rear animals, birds or fish commercially. Nepal is an agricultural country. About 66 percent Nepalese people are involved in agriculture as their occupation. The agriculture has contributed about 36% in the gross domestic product. It has an important role in economic development of the country. It is the main source of foodstuffs. Not only the human beings but animals poultries also get their foods from agriculture. It provides necessary raw materials for agro-industries. If modern scientific agriculture system is adopted and the agriculture is commercialized, it can help in the poverty alleviation. 

Importance of Agriculture in Nepal 

1. Agriculture is the main source of national income. 
2. It is the main source of foodstuffs not only for the human beings but also for animals poultries. 
3. It supplies necessary raw materials for agro-industries. 
4. It helps in earning foreign currency by exporting agricultural products. 
5. It provides employment to the people . 
6. It is hte backbone of the economic development. 

Traditional Agriculture System 

An old system of farming is known as traditional agriculture system. In this system, the farmers work with hand. They use the land, rainfall, seeds, tillage methods and power sources, etc what the nature offers. Conventional processes are used to till the land, select and plant seeds, protect plants from competing plants and animals and gather the harvest. The productivity of such systems depends primarily on the natural fertility of the soil and the climate. Traditional agriculture system is the main reason for the lack of development in the agriculture sector of Nepal. There is traditional agriculture system in Nepal even in 21 century. In the traditional agriculture system, insecticides, chemical fertilizers, improved seeds  etc. are not used. Only the traditional tools are used for agriculture. Due to such traditional tools are used for agriculture. Due to such traditional way of farming, the agricultural sector has not been developed satisfactorily. Thus, it is necessary to adopt modern and scientific agriculture system for the development of agriculture sector in Nepal. 

Problems of Agriculture in Nepal 

• Lack of Proper Market
• Unequal distribution of land
• Traditional method of farming
• Subsistence farming
• Lack of Capital
• Lack of Agricultural Tools
• Lack of Irrigation Facility
• Lack of shortage
• Poverty

Measures to improve agriculture

1. Emphasis should be given on establishing and developing essential physical infrastructures in the country.
2. Good market and price for agricultural products should be ensured.
3. Farmers should be given training to use new technology, improved seeds, fertilizers, etc.
4. Irrigation canals should be constructed in more numbers so that large area of arable land can be covered by it.
5. Farmers should be given subsidy on fertilizer, seed and other agriculture tools.
6. Priority should be given for the production of commercial and high value items.
7. Proper plans and policies should be made to ensure agriculture security, sustainable farming, quality improvement and market extension of agricultural product, etc.

Modern Agricultural System

Modern agriculture system refers to the large scale agriculture production. It makes the use of improved seeds, technologically advanced tools and adequate facilities of irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides. In the modern agriculture system, the farmers have the access to resources, technology, management, investment, markets and supportive government policies. Modern agriculture system came out with the Green  Revolution which took place soon after World War II, because of the food crisis. It emphasizes on high yielding varieties of grains, mechanization in agriculture, use of pesticides, weedicides and inorganic fertilizer, etc.

Advantages of modern agriculture system

• Fulfillment of growing demand for food.
• Declination of the price of foodstuffs.
• Development of new modern agricultural tools.
• Development of new crop varieties.
• Use of pesticides and fertilizers for increasing the production.
• Construction of large irrigation system.

Measures to modernize agriculture system

If we adopt modern agriculture system with the use of new technology. It definitely improves the agriculture sector in Nepal. The following are the measures of modern agriculture system.

1. Commercialization in agriculture

Our agriculture system is traditional. It is only enough for subsistence. So, for modernizing it we should  apply business principle in Nepalese agriculture sector.

2. New research, use and experiment in the methods, tools and systems of agriculture. 

We Should conduct scientific research to find out the new possibilities in agriculture. Different agricultural methods, tools and systems should be explored. For this, the concern authorities of government, NGOs, INGOs and farmers should work hand in hand.

3. Crops diversification

The farmers should identify the better and improved varieties of crops. They should cultivate new crops and apply new cropping systems to increase agricultural production.

4. The Provision of easy agriculture loan

Majority of farmers are economically weak. They have heavy debts also. They can hardly meet their household expenditure. So, the provision of easy agriculture loan enables them to invest in the agriculture.

5. Use of modern agricultural tools and technology

Traditional tool and technology is enough only for subsistence agriculture. New and modern agricultural tools and technology should be explored and used which can yield more crops and meet the growing demand of foodstuffs.

6. Emphasis on the training and agriculture education

Farmers should be facilitated with agricultural training and education. They should be made capable for selecting best breeds, fertilizers, techniques, marker, etc. If the farmers are well-trained and educated, they can transform the agricultural system and launch agricultural revolution.

7. Provision of Irrigation

Agriculture needs enough irrigation facility. If we could provide the irrigation facility, the farmers who wait monsoon rain for sowing seeds, can be  benefitted. It also helps to grow cash crops and food crops in extensive area.

8. Multiple cropping

Multiple cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in the same piece of land during single growing season. It is a form of polyculture. It can take the form of double cropping or relay cropping.

9. Intercropping

It is the growing of two or more crops with different characteristics and requirements at the same time on the same plot of land. The goal of intercropping is to get a greater yielding on a piece of land by maintaining balance in fertility. It is an alternative method to the ecological destruction of slash-and-burn farming.