OVERVIEW OF AGRICULTURE IN DIFFERENT PERIODIC PLANS OF NEPAL

Abstract

Since the first periodic plan, the government of Nepal has strongly emphasized the agricultural sector. This paper aims to provide an overview of the agriculture sector in different periodic plans implemented in Nepal. Agriculture gets the first priority for the first time by allocating the all-time highest proportion (34.8 %) of total outlay in the fifth periodic plan. National concern for the environment, sustainable development, and organic agriculture arises in the eighth periodic plan. The Agriculture Perspective Plan was implemented from the ninth five-year plan, which was able to achieve annual 3.2% AGDP growth against the set target of 4.7%. The fourteenth plan was quite satisfactory compared to other plans in terms of achieving an annual average economic and agricultural growth rate of 6.9% and 4.2% against the set target of 7.2% and 4.7%, respectively. Nine five-year plans and five-three-year plans have been successfully implemented till now. Despite these planned efforts, there is the dismal performance of the agricultural sector in Nepal. The fifteenth five-year plan is an ongoing plan that has national strategies to improve agriculture production and productivity through mechanization, modernization, commercialization, and industrialization. This review helps to identify the performance of the agriculture sector and the gaps or constraints in different plans. Thus, it aids in identifying policies and sectorial programs that the economy requires in the future.