7/29/2019 IFAD to support loan and grant to enhance sustainable agricultural growth in Nepal

1/2

IFAD to support loan and grant to enhancesustainable agricultural growth in Nepal

Quality-assured seeds and livestock developmentmeans better lives for rural women and men

Kathmandu, 2 December 2012 The International Fund forAgricultural Development (IFAD) will extend a loan and grant ofUS$39 million to the Government of Nepal to finance the Improved

Seeds for Farmers Programme (Kisankalagi Unnat Biu-BijanKaryakram in Nepali) with the goal of promoting inclusive,competitive and sustainable agricultural growth.

Madhu Marasaini, Joint Secretary, Foreign Aid CoordinationDivision, Ministry of Finance of the Government of Nepal, andBenoit Thierry, IFAD Country Portfolio Manager for Nepal, signedthe financing agreement.

Although there have been significant improvements in Nepals

poverty level in recent years, it is still considered a food insecurecountry. Poverty is significantly higher in rural areas where 85 per

cent of the countrys population live. The majority of rural womenand men rely on agriculture as their main source of food,employment and income. Migration now affects more than half ofall Nepalese families, with two million workers abroad, theirremittances contribute for 22 per cent of the countrys grossdomestic product. This has led to women increasingly takingresponsibility for both household and farm management.The programme is a joint venture between the government ofNepal and IFAD to strengthen improved seed and smallholderlivestock production and distribution by creating partnershipsbetween small farmer organizations and the private sector.Through these partnerships, private seed companies will contractfarmers group to produce truthfully labelled or quality-assuredseeds for cereals and vegetables. The aim is to increase theincomes of about 150,000 poor rural households in six districts:Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan, Pyuthan, Gulmi and Arghakhanci. Poorwomen, indigenous peoples, and other vulnerable groups areexpected to benefit from the programme. It is estimated that rural

women will make up more than half of all beneficiaries.

PRESS RELEASE

7/29/2019 IFAD to support loan and grant to enhance sustainable agricultural growth in Nepal

2/2

The other component of the programme will support smallholderlivestock commercialization in goat breeding and dairy production.This will include attention to breed improvement, nutrition andmanagement, veterinary services development, farmer training,

and market linkage development.

With this new programme, the Fund will have financed 14programmes and projects in Nepal since 1978 for a total IFAD

investment of $198.2million, benefiting 561 600 households.

Contact:

Jessica ThomasIFADCommunications DivisionTel: +39 06 5459 2215

j.thomas@ifad.org

Press release No.: IFAD/71/2012

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) workswith poor rural people to enable them to grow and sell more food,increase their incomes and determine the direction of their ownlives. Since 1978, IFAD has invested almost US$14.3 billion ingrants and low-interest loans to developing countries through

projects empowering about 400million people to break out ofpoverty, thereby helping to create vibrant rural communities. IFADis an international financial institution and a specialized UN agencybased in Rome the United Nations food and agriculture hub. It isa unique partnership of 168 members from the Organization of thePetroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), other developing countriesand the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD).

mailto:j.thomas@ifad.orgmailto:j.thomas@ifad.org