FAO Representation

FAO in Nepal

Nepal became member of FAO on 21 November 1951. Between 1967 and 2009, some 180 projects and programmes covering various aspects of agriculture such as policies and legislations, crop diversification, vegetable production, dairy farming, small farmer development, aquaculture, community and leasehold forestry development, marketing and post harvest management, empowerment of women and participatory watershed management have been implemented in the country. At present FAO is co-operating with various agencies in Nepal through 15 projects and programmes covering such areas as: integrated pest management, olive production and processing, agrucultural marketing, community livestock development, Avain Influenza control, small dairy development, cattle breeding, leasehold forestry, training in selected aspects of the sanitary and phytosanitary aspects in international trade and emergency assistance to the farm families affected by floods, drought and the recent phenomenon of soaring food prices- all aiming to introduce and sustain innovative approaches to agriculture and rural development.

Among the UN agencies, FAO was the first one to start field level work in Nepal, in 1951. Since then nearly 200 larger and small projects covering various aspects of agricultural development have been completed.

FAO is cooperating with the Government of Nepal in operationalising the Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP), which was approved in 1995 and covers up to 2015, and the three-year Interim Plan (TYIP) or Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (2002-2010). The priorities of the APP are to enhance food, high-value cash crops and livestock production, agri-business, and forestry. Irrigation (mainly farmer managed small surface irrigation system in the hills and shallow tubewells in the Terai), fertilizers, appropriate technologies (improved seeds and genetic materials) and rural roads and power. In essence, the APP aims to accelerate growth in agricultural output for improved food security and for poverty alleviation and sustained economic development. The major focus of the TYIP in agriculture is also to contribute to achieve high and sustainable economic growth and poverty alleviation and improve in food and nutrition status of the people by increasing agriculture productivity through integrated packages of agricultural inputs and services.

FAO is a technical agency. As such, financial information alone does not provide a full indication on the level and depth of the FAO-Nepal cooperation. Nevertheless, the level of FAO funding to Nepal is expected to increase in the next few years. FAO technical cooperation programmes will continue to assist the Government in an integrated approach to address its immediate priorities through capacity building, institutional improvement, food security-related issues, agriculture and rural development. 

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