The agricultural sector in Nepal is vital to the economy, contributing around 24% of gross domestic production and engaging 50.4% of the population. Effective extension services provide a foundation for enhancing agricultural competitiveness but face challenges such as limited reach, conventional practices, and inadequate responses. These challenges stem from the fundamental characteristics of Nepalese agriculture, including diseconomies of scale, scattered production, succession threats due to aging and outmigration, distorted supply chains, and dysfunction of the coordinated mechanism among three government tiers. Considering this decentralized structure, this chapter aims to provide a framework for innovating existing extension service mechanisms through the integration of digital platforms. It outlines the role of digital platforms in disseminating information, technology transfer, capacity development, market management, data analytics, and decision support through real-time surveillance, advisory services, and establishing backward linkages of extension workers to research. The chapter examines policies regarding digital agricultural extension, explores perceptions toward digital platform use among extension workers, and provides effective strategies for their integration into the system. In line with the National Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030) and Digital Nepal Framework, 2019, the chapter proposes a digitally enabled platform that serves as a framework for transformation of extension services through digitalization, policy coherence, completeness, and collaboration. From the analysis of existing context and author experiences, it calls for exploration beyond conventional boundaries and contributes to the landscape of current working modality.

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Digitalization of Agricultural Extension Service in Nepal: A Framework for Transformation

  • Manita Thapa,
  • Annie R. Specht,
  • Binod Ghimire,
  • Sagar Ghimire

摘要

The agricultural sector in Nepal is vital to the economy, contributing around 24% of gross domestic production and engaging 50.4% of the population. Effective extension services provide a foundation for enhancing agricultural competitiveness but face challenges such as limited reach, conventional practices, and inadequate responses. These challenges stem from the fundamental characteristics of Nepalese agriculture, including diseconomies of scale, scattered production, succession threats due to aging and outmigration, distorted supply chains, and dysfunction of the coordinated mechanism among three government tiers. Considering this decentralized structure, this chapter aims to provide a framework for innovating existing extension service mechanisms through the integration of digital platforms. It outlines the role of digital platforms in disseminating information, technology transfer, capacity development, market management, data analytics, and decision support through real-time surveillance, advisory services, and establishing backward linkages of extension workers to research. The chapter examines policies regarding digital agricultural extension, explores perceptions toward digital platform use among extension workers, and provides effective strategies for their integration into the system. In line with the National Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030) and Digital Nepal Framework, 2019, the chapter proposes a digitally enabled platform that serves as a framework for transformation of extension services through digitalization, policy coherence, completeness, and collaboration. From the analysis of existing context and author experiences, it calls for exploration beyond conventional boundaries and contributes to the landscape of current working modality.