Mohan Bahadur Thapa1 , Hari Bahadur K.C.2 , Puspa Raj Poudel3 , Dhruba Raj Bhattarai4
and Sanjay Dhimal5
1 Freelancer, Senior Horticulturist
2 Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kathmandu
3 Tribhuvan University, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Paklihawa Campus,
Siddharthanagar-1, Rupandehi
4 Outreach Research Division, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Khumaltar, Lalitpur
5 Tuber Vegetable Development Center, Sindhulimadi, Sindhuli
Corresponding author’s e-mail: mbthapa2009@gmail.com
Abstract
Nepal holds immense potential in producing horticultural crops, however, this advantage hasn’t been utilized to its optimum level.The overall growth of horticulture sector depends on the efficient delivery of developed technologies and functional coordination among the actors involved in the sector. This article focuses on reviewing the present status of coordination and the need of functional collaboration among the actors involved in research, extension and education (REE) of Horticulture sector in Nepal. Horticultural education and research functions are undertaken by the Agriculture Universities and Institutes in Nepal. Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) is mainly involved in research function. The Department of Agriculture (DoA) through its Horticultural Farms and other organizations provide extension services. In the present context of three-tier government system in Nepal, few Horticultural Farms including Agriculture Knowledge Centers under provincial government and Agriculture Section under local government are providing horticulture extension services to the farmers.However, the institutions involved in different aspects of REE are working independently without significant functional coordination and collaboration. A poor linkages among the institutions working the field of research, extension and education of Horticulture sector is the most crucial institutional problem for overall growth of this sector in Nepal. Vertical and horizontal collaboration and coordination among different stakeholders working in the field of REE will help to boost the horticultural development in Nepal.
Keywords: Horticulture development, REE, Policy gap