Determinants of Small-Scale Commercial Vegetable Farming Among Vegetable Growers in Nepal

Niraj Prakash Joshi,Luni Piya

doi:10.1177/21582440211010168

Abstract

Various socio-economic factors play important roles in the adoption of commercial vegetable farming. Understanding these factors is crucial in enhancing the existing low rate of vegetable commercialization in Nepal, thereby achieving the overall development goal of poverty reduction. This article analyzes the personal, technical, and business factors associated with the adoption using Nepal Vegetable Crops Survey 2009–2010 data. A probit analysis is carried out. Caste/ethnicity is a critical factor hindering the adoption in Nepal. An awareness program to facilitate marketing of vegetables produced by the socially disadvantaged caste/ethnic groups and targeting them in interventions would be helpful in enhancing the rate of vegetable commercialization. Similarly, facilitating access to technical factors, mainly technical assistance, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and improved seeds, would promote commercial vegetable farming. Such interventions can be introduced in vegetable production potential areas of Hills and Tarai. Land consolidation might not be important. Rather, any program or policies to facilitate secure land-tenure, which encourages farmers to invest in land development, would boost vegetable commercialization. Similarly, identification of vegetable cultivation areas and provision of irrigation in those land parcels would be vital.

Highlights

Smallholding subsistence farmers, who are involved in farming only for self-consumption, constitute the majority of 815 million chronically undernourished people in the world (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017)
Around 80% of arable land is cultivated by smallholder farms producing about 80% of food consumed in Africa and Asia, which are homes to the majority of chronically undernourished people (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2014; Nwanze, 2011)
Education category shows a positive relation with the adoption of commercial vegetable farming

Summary

Introduction

Smallholding subsistence farmers, who are involved in farming only for self-consumption, constitute the majority of 815 million chronically undernourished people in the world (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017). Low-income or lower-middle-income countries in these regions, lack structural transformation driven by agricultural productivity These countries are marred by low agricultural productivity growth resulting in increasing dependence on market purchase, constituting as high as 90% of the food supplies (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017). Such countries are vulnerable to any threats posed by external shocks such as rise in market food price as experienced in 2007–2008 or the COVID-19 global pandemic that disrupted the trade. Smallholder farmers need to be the primary driver in agriculture technological transformation (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017)

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