Agriculture
Nepal’s agriculture has always had a foundation of subsistence farming, especially in the hill regions due in part of the landscape and difficult conditions the peasants had to farm on (Nepal-Agriculture, 2017). Some surveys have anywhere between 68% to over 80% of the population dependent on agriculture as their main source of income and accounts for 40% of Nepal’s GPD (CIA, 2017). Though farming and agriculture is vast in Nepal, they still struggle with inadequate food supply, in part due to the vast differences in climate, landscape and lack of advance farming technology.
Nepal’s vastly different geography and climates in the different regions has them using different methods and producing different crops (Sharma, N.D.).
Nepal’s agriculture has always had a foundation of subsistence farming, especially in the hill regions due in part of the landscape and difficult conditions the peasants had to farm on (Nepal-Agriculture, 2017). Some surveys have anywhere between 68% to over 80% of the population dependent on agriculture as their main source of income and accounts for 40% of Nepal’s GPD (CIA, 2017). Though farming and agriculture is vast in Nepal, they still struggle with inadequate food supply, in part due to the vast differences in climate, landscape and lack of advance farming technology.
Nepal’s vastly different geography and climates in the different regions has them using different methods and producing different crops (Sharma, N.D.).
Agriculture in the Terai
In the Terai region, the plains, the land is very fertile with rainfall and other climatic conditions it is extremely suitable to grow several types of crops. There are several main crops grown in this region which are rice, sugar cane, maize, wheat, jowar (an ancient grain or sorghum), pulses (lentil, gram, pigeon peas), oilseed and bajra (a grain of pearl millet) (Sharma, N.D.). Since rice needs both a hot and wet climate there must be plenty of water during the growing periods and it lasts about five months and due to the Terai’s climate conditions this allows rice to be grown twice a year in some areas (Prabin, 2010). These main crops are grown along with seasonal fruits, spices and vegetables (Sharma, N.D.).
In the Terai region, the plains, the land is very fertile with rainfall and other climatic conditions it is extremely suitable to grow several types of crops. There are several main crops grown in this region which are rice, sugar cane, maize, wheat, jowar (an ancient grain or sorghum), pulses (lentil, gram, pigeon peas), oilseed and bajra (a grain of pearl millet) (Sharma, N.D.). Since rice needs both a hot and wet climate there must be plenty of water during the growing periods and it lasts about five months and due to the Terai’s climate conditions this allows rice to be grown twice a year in some areas (Prabin, 2010). These main crops are grown along with seasonal fruits, spices and vegetables (Sharma, N.D.).
Agriculture in the Hills
With thick forests, hill slopes and mountains there are fewer people living there than the Terai. The most important crop in the hills is maize (Sharma, N.D.). The crop is mainly grown for family consumption and mainly sell it is they have a surplus of the crop. The second most important crop is millet as many in the hills feel it offers more nutrition than maize. Like the Terai region seasonal fruits and vegetables are grown. The difference is that the lowland is irrigated and they also grow rice, wheat, lentils, potatoes. Whereas the upland portion of the hill country grows maize, millet, black gram, legumes and fallow (Sharma, N.D.).
Due to the rain for most of the year tea plants are the crop of choice in the area of Illam (Prabin, 2010). Women, who are now are making up the labor force due to men finding employment overseas, pluck the tealeaves and take the yield to a factory where is it dried in special way to be shipped all across Nepal (Prabin, 2010).
With thick forests, hill slopes and mountains there are fewer people living there than the Terai. The most important crop in the hills is maize (Sharma, N.D.). The crop is mainly grown for family consumption and mainly sell it is they have a surplus of the crop. The second most important crop is millet as many in the hills feel it offers more nutrition than maize. Like the Terai region seasonal fruits and vegetables are grown. The difference is that the lowland is irrigated and they also grow rice, wheat, lentils, potatoes. Whereas the upland portion of the hill country grows maize, millet, black gram, legumes and fallow (Sharma, N.D.).
Due to the rain for most of the year tea plants are the crop of choice in the area of Illam (Prabin, 2010). Women, who are now are making up the labor force due to men finding employment overseas, pluck the tealeaves and take the yield to a factory where is it dried in special way to be shipped all across Nepal (Prabin, 2010).
Agriculture in the Mountains
The mountains are another story with little rainfall the terrain is rocky and uneven making the soil not very fertile as the soil is mostly dry and sandy (Prabin, 2010). There is a vast grassland area that is great for livestock to graze. Also due to the cold climate, unlike the Terai region, crops are harvested once a year (Sharma, N.D.). The crops of choice in the mountain area are barley, maize, buckwheat and potato (Sharma, N.D.).
The mountains are another story with little rainfall the terrain is rocky and uneven making the soil not very fertile as the soil is mostly dry and sandy (Prabin, 2010). There is a vast grassland area that is great for livestock to graze. Also due to the cold climate, unlike the Terai region, crops are harvested once a year (Sharma, N.D.). The crops of choice in the mountain area are barley, maize, buckwheat and potato (Sharma, N.D.).
The video discusses the extreme poverty facing Nepal's farmers. The Nepalese farmers faces recurring disasters such as droughts, floods and of course earthquakes. The shows some solutions that Nepal has put in place to help the farmers.
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In this video you see how the Nepalese plant rice, also known as Ropi. The video takes you through the process of cultivation of rice in the traditional way with whole families.
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