Padma Nath Atreya', Ramita Manandhar (PhD) 2
1Fruit Development Officer
2Programme Director
Fruit Development Directorate Kirtipur, Kathmandu
Abstract
Nepal, a land locked county with an area of 147,182 sq.km has the total cultivated area of around 3 million hectares, of which around 4.79% is covered by fruit crops. Owing to its greatly varied geographical and climatic conditions, Nepal accommodates wider biodiversity,and this applies to the growing of diverse biotypes of fruit species as well. Southern Terai regions are suitable for cultivation of tropical fruits while mid-hills and high-hills towards north are suitable for sub-tropical to warm and cold temperate fruit and nut species. The total area, productive area. Production and productivity of fruits in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014/15 are 150387 ha, 110802 ha, 992703 mt and 8.96 mt/ ha respectively. Despite of increasing area and production and huge potential of fruit cultivation in the country, the quantity and value of foreign importation of fruits is increasing in recent years due to higher rate of the increasing internal demand in comparison to rate of increasing domestic production and supply. The fruit development is still in infant stage due to lower resources allocation and frequent changes of institutional and human resources on fruit research and development, though some good ground work has already been done during the past decades in major fruits produced in the country. Programs such as Apple self reliance program and Citrus orchard rejuvenation Program have a good demand and impact on the respective fruit crops in the implemented districts. In order to make the country self reliant on fruits, the Fruit Development Directorate has proposed a Fruit Decade and a Fruit Plantation Year. For the fruit development of the country programs on the whole of the value chain of fruits from production to consumer table need to be accommodated. This article tries to summarize achievements done in the past and provide proposed key strategies related to Horticulture sector as per the Agriculture Development Strategy.
Keyword: Fruit development, Biodiversity, Self reliant, Future strategy