The necessary preliminary work is underway to collect data on the agricultural sector, and it is believed that this will assist in future research and policymaking.
What you should know
Stating that reliable data is essential to make the agricultural sector effective and purposeful, an interactive seminar was held in Dadeldhura on Friday for improving agricultural statistics. The seminar, organized by the Directorate of Agriculture Development, Dipayal-Doti at the Agricultural Knowledge Center Dadeldhura, was attended by agricultural technicians from local levels of Dadeldhura, Baitadi and Bajhang.
According to Kamal Raj Gautam, Statistics Officer at the Ministry of Agricultural Development, the main objective of the seminar is to coordinate with the local level to develop agricultural statistics using statistical methods. He said that the initial phase of work required for collecting statistics in the agricultural sector is underway and this will help in future research and policy making. At the seminar, Shankar Shah, Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Sudurpaschim Province, expressed the view that agricultural planning without statistics will not be effective as per the objectives. According to him, reliable statistics are essential to identify the condition of the agricultural sector, the problems of farmers and the reality of production.
Secretary Shah mentioned that although about 85 percent of the citizens in Sudurpaschim Province are involved in agriculture, only 10 percent of the total budget is allocated to the agriculture sector, which is a lack of resources. He said that once reliable statistics are generated, it will be easier to solve the problems of the agricultural sector. Referring to the current situation where soil fertility is gradually decreasing, he said that systematic agricultural surveys will make a significant contribution to crop cycle improvement, land management and long-term production capacity. According to him, the local level will have to continue the work of the remaining surveys.
Participants in the interactive seminar pointed out the need to strengthen coordination between the local level and the province and make the statistical system modern, regular and evidence-based.
