Date: 14 October 2018
Time: 08:15-12:50
Hall: TBC
Agriculture has been the mainstay of Nepal’s economy as well as the main source of livelihoods for majority of people in the country from the time immemorial to date. Yet, the country has increasing dependence on the imports of food and agriculture inputs over time. Despite much emphasis put on agriculture development in the periodic plans for nearly half a century now, the capacity to achieve appropriate agricultural education, innovation of technology, multi-sectoral collaboration and investment required thereof have not been adequate to explore the vast potential of diverse agricultural resources in order to secure sufficient, safe and healthy food for the people.
Focus: Agricultural crops and livestock, natural resources, soil and water management, agriculture production, marketing and distribution of agricultural commodities, food security.
Background: By the end of the period of the first long-term agricultural plan of Nepal, Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP), 1995/96 – 2014/15, productivity, infrastructure, food security and poverty situation are known to have improved substantially. However, the status of agriculture development was still considered to be in a “low development stage” due to inability to achieve the level of growth as anticipated. Despite some subsectors such as dairy processing, poultry, tea, vegetable seed and fisheries showed positive signs, they are not yet sufficient to lift a large number of people engaged in agriculture out of poverty and make a dramatic dent in reducing malnutrition and assure food security of the nation. This has been the assessment during the formulation of the current long-term plan, Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS) that is expected to guide the agricultural sector during strategy period, 2015-2035. Over the period of this two decade long plan, the structure of the agricultural sector is expected to change considerably, with the agribusiness and non-farm rural activities growing relative to accelerated agricultural growth. The ADS considers the agricultural sector in its complexity, and encompasses not only the production sectors (crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry) but also the processing sector, trade and other services (storage, transportation and logistics, finance, marketing, research, extension).
The ADS outlines its expected impacts through accelerated agricultural growth as follows:
All these expected impacts remain only a tall talk if the country does to acquire the required capacity early enough for achieving the expected outputs i.e., improved governance, higher productivity, profitable commercialization and increased competitiveness as projected by the ADS. Importantly, the vast number of the Nepal’s current pool of professional expertise remain in foreign lands as Diaspora resources that should be redirected back to the motherland to revitalize innovation and adaptation of technologies as well as multi-sectoral collaboration and investment for transformative leap forward in the agriculture sector. This series of two symposia aims to address these concerns.
Symposium Session I: Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Implications for Food Security
(total time 100 minutes)
Session Chair: Prof. Dr. Ishwari Prasad Dhakal, Vice Chancellor, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan
Programme:
Symposium Session II: Agricultural Innovation and Practice for Food Security
(total time 100 minutes)
Session Moderator: Dr. Drona Rasali
Programme:
Important notes for Abstract submissions: Abstracts for mainly posters and a limited number of oral and rapid fire presentations are welcome for this series of “Agriculture and Food Security” symposia. Rapid Fire Presenters are encouraged to adopt “Pecha Kucha” type of presentation which consists of 20 images/slides for fast-paced presentation in 20 seconds each (6 min 40 seconds in total), or can choose to present fewer slides within strictly allotted time of 6 minutes each). Fast-paced presenters interested in Pecha-Kucha are requested to indicate it in their abstract submission. Coordinators reserve the rights to accommodate the accepted abstracts for Accepted oral, Pecha Kucha or Rapid Fire Presentation as requested as possible within the available time. Convention Registration fee is waived for all invited or accepted presenters.
Contact Information for symposia:
Coordinators: Dr. Drona Rasali (drona.rasali2@gmail.com); Dr.Keshav Adhikari (keshav.adhikari2008@gmail.com)
Advisors: Dr. Nanda Prasad Shrestha (nandapd.shrestha@gmail.com), Dr. Tek Bahadur Gurung (tek_fisheries@hotmail.com) and Dr. Krishna Dev Joshi (k.d.joshi@irri.org)
Program Schedule
Symposium 1: Agriculture and Food Security 14 October 2018, 08:15-12:50, Megha Hall |
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Session A: Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Implications for Food Security, Chair: Prof Ishwari Prasad Dhakal | ||||
Speaker/Panellist | Topic | Institute | ||
Tea and networking | ||||
Keshav Adhikari, Prof Dr | Symposium introductions and welcome | Dean, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Tribhuvan University, Nepal | keshab517@hotmail.com | |
Invited | Yubak Dhoj GC Dr | Keynote policy remarks from the Government of Nepal | Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives, Government of Nepal | yubakgc@yahoo.com |
Invited | Durga Poudel, Prof Dr | Agriculture and natural resources development and management strategy (video presentation) | Environmental Science Program, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana, USA | ddpoudel@gmail.com |
Invited | Krishna Dev Joshi Dr | Transforming rice agri food systems in Nepal: Need for strong international collaboration | Country Representative in Nepal, International Rice Research Institute, Manila, the Philippines | k.d.joshi@irri.org |
Invited | Nanda Prasad Shrestha Dr | Role of livestock sector for improving food and nutrition security of rural Nepalese people | Former Executive Director, Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) | nandapd.shrestha@gmail.com |
Contributed | Drona Rasali, Dr | Securing sustainable, sufficient, safe and healthy food: Principles and practices of food security in Nepal | Director, Provincial Health Services Authority, BC, Canada | drona.rasali2@gmail.com |
Contributed | Ram Bhandari | Mountain organic agriculture in the Himalaya: Strengthening partnerships, policies and practices for livelihood, food and ecological security in Nepal | Founding President, IISUMOD-International Institute for Sustainable Mountain Development, Rome, Italy | RBBhandari@gmail.com |
Summary | Ishwari Prasad Dhakal Prof | Agriculture and Forestry University | ipdhakal5@gmail.com | |
Session B: Agricultural Innovation and Practice for Food Security, Chair: Dr Dil Bahadur Gurung | ||||
Speaker/Panelist | Topic | Institute | ||
Invited | Tek Bahadur Gurung, Dr | Local innovation on enterprise based restoration of degraded lake and fish production by cooperative governance: Working scope to NRNA in agriculture sector for food and nutrition security in Nepal | Principal Scientist and Research head, Livestock and Fisheries Research Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Nepal | tek_fisheries@hotmail.com |
Invited | Surya Bhattarai, Dr | Alternative fertilizer options for sustainable agriculture in Nepal | Senior Research Fellow, Central Queensland University, Australia | s.bhattarai@cqu.edu.au |
Contributed | Bhola Man Singh Basnet | Rice security is food security how to make Nepal self-reliant in rice production? | Retd. Principal Scientist (Agronomy)/Senior Rice Expert Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) | bholabasnet49@gmail.com |
Contributed | Dharmendra Kalauni | Pesticide use and its residue status in food crops in Nepal | Agriculture and Forestry University | kalaunidharmendra@gmail.com |
Contributed | Pradeep Wagle, Mr | Global food security through agricultural transformation: How can agricultural expatriates contribute? | Association of Nepalese Agricultural Professionals of Americas, USA | waglepradeep@gmail.com |
Contributed | Ravindra Nyaupane, Mr | Agricultural and integrated economy of GGA | Swansea University, UK | rovinsnyppon@yahoo.com |
Contributed | Purna Kandel, Dr | Technology transfer and utilization to increase productivity of Nepalese agriculture through use of world wide available best technologies | Liam BioChem International, Toronto, Canada | purnakandel@liambiochem.com |
Summary | Dil Bahadur Gurung, Dr | Member, National Planning Commission, Nepal | dbgurung@npc.gov.np | |
Poster | Jeevan Bahadur Shahi | Himalayan shrub Dhatelo and its clinical information | Dutelo Agro, Nepal | jeevanbahadurshahi@gmail.com |
Poster | Raju Pandey | Rearing beneficial insects for suppressing pest insect | Citrus Research Board, USA | rajupandey@gmail.com |