Nepal has endowed with diverse agro-climates that enable the production of tropical to temperate fruits, plantation crops, vegetables, spices, and medicinal herbs from Terai to high hills and mountains. Nepal is annually importing a huge quantity of fruits and vegetables to meet its increasing demand. The low production and consumption of fruits and vegetables is due to limited commercialization, especially in the hills and mountainous areas. This chapter aims to assess current constraints and challenges in commercialization of horticulture and suggests a potential road map for integration of improved post-harvest management with specific focus on packhouses and cold-chain technologies and facilities for horticultural crops. Current constraints to commercialization include low volume and scattered production, use of low yielding varieties, traditional production practices, high postharvest losses, lack of infrastructure and transportation facilities, poor linkage between industries and market, long gestation period of fruit crops, and high initial cost of establishment. Nevertheless, Nepal has great scope for their commercialization, particularly of citrus, apple, and offseason vegetables, which will help transform Nepalese horticulture industry. Packhouses with cold-chains facilities have potential as they can facilitate commercial production of fruits and vegetables, help establish efficient supply chain and linkages between producers and market, and can consolidate produce and supply to distant markets. Commercialized fruit and vegetable production coupled with the improved supply chain management enables the regular export of fresh produce abroad, especially to India and Bangladesh. To commercialize the horticulture sector, the government should establish a land use policy to consolidate small, fragmented areas into large commercial blocks with provision of packhouse facilities and establishment of processing industries so as to substitute import and promote export. We propose a roadmap to promote and commercialize the horticulture industries and facilitate markets and export through the establishment of packhouses, cold-chain facilities, and relevant industries and suggest necessary requirements and policy issues for agricultural transformation through the transformation of horticulture sector.

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Commercialization and Transformation of Horticulture Through Integration of Improved Postharvest Management: A Roadmap for Nepal

  • Durga Mani Gautam,
  • Kishor Chandra Dahal,
  • Devendra Gauchan,
  • Jagadish Timsina

摘要

Nepal has endowed with diverse agro-climates that enable the production of tropical to temperate fruits, plantation crops, vegetables, spices, and medicinal herbs from Terai to high hills and mountains. Nepal is annually importing a huge quantity of fruits and vegetables to meet its increasing demand. The low production and consumption of fruits and vegetables is due to limited commercialization, especially in the hills and mountainous areas. This chapter aims to assess current constraints and challenges in commercialization of horticulture and suggests a potential road map for integration of improved post-harvest management with specific focus on packhouses and cold-chain technologies and facilities for horticultural crops. Current constraints to commercialization include low volume and scattered production, use of low yielding varieties, traditional production practices, high postharvest losses, lack of infrastructure and transportation facilities, poor linkage between industries and market, long gestation period of fruit crops, and high initial cost of establishment. Nevertheless, Nepal has great scope for their commercialization, particularly of citrus, apple, and offseason vegetables, which will help transform Nepalese horticulture industry. Packhouses with cold-chains facilities have potential as they can facilitate commercial production of fruits and vegetables, help establish efficient supply chain and linkages between producers and market, and can consolidate produce and supply to distant markets. Commercialized fruit and vegetable production coupled with the improved supply chain management enables the regular export of fresh produce abroad, especially to India and Bangladesh. To commercialize the horticulture sector, the government should establish a land use policy to consolidate small, fragmented areas into large commercial blocks with provision of packhouse facilities and establishment of processing industries so as to substitute import and promote export. We propose a roadmap to promote and commercialize the horticulture industries and facilitate markets and export through the establishment of packhouses, cold-chain facilities, and relevant industries and suggest necessary requirements and policy issues for agricultural transformation through the transformation of horticulture sector.