Recent News and Events
Published By: Admin on: 2013-05-07
High Value Agriculture Project in Hill and Mountain Areas (HVAP) organised multi-stakeholder interaction workshops for off-season vegetables, ginger and turmeric, goat meat value chains on 28 March, 4 April and 2 May respectively. The multi-stakeholder platforms (MSP) were organised in Surkhet involving the producer groups and cooperatives, traders, input suppliers and service providers to build a consensus and stimulate ownership among the value chain actors, enabling institutions and service providers. Following the MSP, in the second day, the producer group representatives were oriented and supported on business plan preparation.
The workshops started with presentations on the respective value chains including the opportunities and challenges in the sector. The presentations were followed by group work among the participants divided into groups of producers, traders, and enablers. The groups presented prioritised pressing issues in the sector.
“Farmers should turn into businessmen,” opined Krishna Pandey, a cooperative shop owner at Guranse and former chairperson of Laligurans Cooperative.
“The access to information is necessary,” added Prabal Shahi of Babu and Shahi Sabji Mandi, Birendranagar.
Following the presentation, a world café was organised for the workshop participants. The traders were made the table hosts and producers participated as travellers going from one table to another in groups. The groups spent around 20 minutes at each table and discussed the issues with the hosts. Likewise, a separate table was hosted by enablers.
The session enabled the groups to come up with an aggregate demand and supply of the produces. Khadga Bhattarai, the proprietor of Rentury Spices, emphasised, “I can buy all turmeric produced in Jajarkot, Surkhet, and Achham districts.”
One of the participants from Jajarkot, Shila Nepali said, “We have noted down the names, addresses of the traders, we will contact them to sell our produce next season.”
“Meeting and interacting with the traders clarified the nuances of selling quality products on time,” added Renu Acharya, another participant.
The representative of District Agriculture Development Office in Surkhet informed the participants about the services that can be availed by the farmers. The agro-vets, who are the first point of interaction for the farmers, also explained how the farmers can avail the right seeds at right time. They requested the farmers to place the orders for seeds in advance, at least 15-30 days ahead of the sowing time.
Sarjuma Lama, a junior technical assistant by profession and owner of a veterinary clinic in Birendranagar suggested, “The farmers can come to us anytime for suggestions on goat rearing, administering medicines and curing diseases.”
“MSP is a great tool where all stakeholders come together at a place, discuss the pressing issues in the sector, and find solutions,” says Rajendra Bhari, Project Manager of HVAP. “With the consensus of all stakeholders, the whole sector can be developed.”