Speaker: Dr. Dil Bahadur Gurung, Executive Director, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Nepal

1. NARC’s Role in Agricultural Research for
Development in Nepal
Dil B. Gurung, PhD
Executive Director
Nepal Agricultural Research Council
(NARC)
Kathmandu, Nepal
www.narc.gov.np
March 2013

2. Overview
• Agriculture in Nepal
• Major Institutions for Agricultural R&D
• NARC and its Mandate
– Major Achievements
– Challenges and Issues
– Priorities and Strategies
• Areas of Potential Collaboration

3. Agriculture in Nepal
• Backbone of Nepalese Economy
• Contributes 35% to GDP
• 65% of the population dependent on agriculture (Total
population: 27 million)
Cultivated land
21%
Others
Water 18%
3%
Cultiviable land
Pasture
7%
12%
Forest
39% Total area: 147,181 sq.km

4. Total Population and Agriculture Produces over the Years
Population ('000) @1.4 Principal agric. production ('000 mt) @5.9
Livestock products ('000 mt) @2 Population engaged in agriculture, %
30000 100
90
25000 80
70
mt and number
20000
60
15000 50
%
40
10000 30
5000 20
10
0 0
1961 1981 1991 2012

5. Nepal’s Share in Total Biodiversity of the World
Land share of Nepal in earth: 0.1% 8.50%
4.20% 4%
2.20% 2.20%
1.40%
Flowering Reptiles Fish Birds Butterflies Mammals
plants

6. Agro-eco-zones in Nepal
High Hill
Mid Hill
Tarai
Asia
• 3.6 M population (out of 27 million) suffer from
food insecurity (Mountain and Hill districts)
China
• Poverty level is at 25% based on Nepal Living
Standard Survey, 2011

7. Major Institutions for Agriculture R&D
Research Institutions
• Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC)
• Nepal Agriculture Research & Development Fund (NARDF)
• NGOs (LIBIRD, FORWARD, CEAPRED)
Academic Institutions
• Agriculture and Forestry University
• IAAS, Tribhuvan University
• Kathmandu University
• HICAST, Purvanchal University
• Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT)
Extension Institutions
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Livestock Services
• INGO/NGOs

8. Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC)
• An apex body for agricultural research in the
country with the goal of poverty alleviation
through the development of appropriate
technologies
• Established at 1991 as autonomous organization
Mandate
• Generate technologies in agriculture
• Solve problems related to agriculture
• Advice policies to the Government of Nepal on
agriculture R&D 8

9. Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC)
Council (16 members)
Chaired by Minister of Agriculture
Executive Board (8 members)
NARC Head Quarter
NARI & NASRI, Cross Cutting Regional Commodity Research
Disciplinary Divisions Divisions Directorates Programs
(18) (5) (5) (16)
Agricultural Research Stations
(13)
NARI: National Agriculture Research Institute
NASRI: National Animal Science Research Institute

10. Research Stations of NARC across the Country
10

11. Commodity Research Program: 15
Sheep & Goat
Ginger Fishery
Potato
Hill Crops
Wheat
Citrus
Commercial crop
Rice
Jute

12. Prioritized Areas for Agriculture Research
Horticulture and
Major food crops: specialized commodities:
Rice, wheat, maize and Citrus, apple, off-season
potato vegetables, vegetable
seeds, mushrooms
Natural resource
management and Commercial crops:
climate change: Ginger, tea,
Biotechnology, soil, coffee,cardamom,
water, biodiversity, sugarcane, jute
climate
Livestock and fishery: Agricultural policy,
Cattle, buffalo, sheep, socio-economics,
goat, swine, avian, gender, agriculture
pasture and fish marketing

13. Research Projects and Manpower
• Number of research projects: ca. 450 annually 1277
• Number of collaborative projects: ca. 40
• Annual Budget: USD 12 million in 2011
• 0.3% of total national budget and less than 10%
of the total agricultural budget
365
322
286
243
61
Scientists Technical Technicians Finance Administrative Total
Officers 13

14. Funding Sources (July, 2012 – June,2013)
Grants from
International
Institutions
Government of
Nepal
74.5%
Norwegian,
Donors Funding Sources
USAID,
JICA, etc
25.3%
0.2%
Development Banks Others (Private
Sectors)

15. Institutional Partners
Department Department
of of Livestock
Agriculture Services
CG Centers University
(CIMMYT, IRRI, (AFU, TU,
CIP, ICRISAT, KU, Kyu Shu
ICARDA, NTU, PU,
Bioversity) MSU…)
Private
I/NGOs
sectors

16. NARC Linkage with Universities
• NARC has visualized a critical role of Research-
Education linkage in agriculture technology
•
development and transfer
• NARC has some form of linkage with Universities (AFU,
TU, KU, NTU, PUs) for higher academic trainings (MSc,
•
PhD)
• NARC is in the process for developing formal
program level linkage with Agriculture and Forestry
•
University (AFU) and other Universities
• NARC has already envisioned and made initiative to
establish Deemed to be University under NARI/NASRI

17. Contribution of Agricultural Research in Nepal
• NARC has made significant contributions in developing
and delivering new technologies for enhancing food
security, income generation, climate change
adaptation and reducing cost of production
•
• Investment in wheat research in Nepal in the past
(1960-1990) has generated an internal rate of
return (IRR) ranging from 75% to 84%. The internal
rate of return from research investment in rice, maize
and wheat from 1995-2004 ranged from 84-105%
in Nepal

18. Contribution of Agricultural Research in Nepal
• NARC developed and promoted varieties in major
crops (rice, wheat, maize) are being adopted in more
than 80% of the crop area
• Apart from these, several crops, livestock, fisheries
and horticultural technologies are developed,
promoted and adopted by the farmers (viz. stress
tolerant and disease resistant (eg Ug99) varieties,
trout fish, plastic house for off season vegetable
cultivation, Srijana hybrid, Pakhribas pig, QPM, RCTs,
coffee & millet processing machines, etc)

19. 1. Food Security
Percent Increase in Area, Production and Productivity of
Major Food Crops over 25 Years (1984-2010)
Area Production Productivity
496.1
227.1
178.6
152.1
114
92.6
64.651.4 56.5 69.8
33.2 28.9 24
8.6 3.9
Rice Maize Wheat Barley Potato

20. Growth Rate (%) per Year for Key Crops (1984/85-2009/10)
8
7.22 Area Prod Yield
7
6
5.33
5
3.86 3.94
% Year
4 3.68
3.11 3.28
3 2.85
2.58 2.51
2.39
1.99 1.85 1.84
2 1.78
1.49 1.32 1.27 1.31
1.08
1
0.5
0
Rice Maize Wheat Potato Lentil Oilseeds Vegetable

21. Total Varieties of 46 Crops with Complete PoP
250
69
47
34 36
24 18
6 3 9 4

22. Recent Achievements: Maize
• Rampur Hybrid-2 for Tarai and KYM33 × KYM35 for Hills
• QPM varieties S99TLYQ-AB, S01SIWQ-3, S99TLYQ-B are
developed and ready for release

23. Finger Millet
Release of GE-5016 (bold grain and
quality straw), GE 5176, Acc. 2827,
533 / 2311 (for high hills)
Buckwheat
Release of first buckwheat variety
of Nepal IR13 (for mid hills)
Rapeseed
Release of Morang local and ICJ
9704

24. Pigeon Pea
Bageswori 2
(Sadabahar)
ICP 7035

25. Potato: Late Blight Resistant Varieties Ready for Release
Ready for Release TPS Variety

26. 2. Income Generation
Cowpea
Malepatan-1
Tomato
Sirjana Hybrid
• Seed production through
public private partnership
• 3.8 kg of hybrid seed
produced in 2011

27. Potato Variety for Chips
PRP 25861.1
Cucumber Hybrid: K1F1
Seed production through
private farms

28. Spur type
Kiwi: A new high- Top Red
demanded fruit in
Nepal
Introduced from New
Zealand
Yield 40-50 kg/tree

29. Sweet Orange
Washington Navel Fruit Valencia Late
• Suitable for low altitude • Seedless
• Seedless • Matures in April
• Matures in Nov-December • Leading variety of the world

30. Large Cardamom
Chhirke & Phurkey ( Viral )
Disease
Tolerant Seedlings
production through Tissue
Culture
Seedlings from seeds

31. Biscuit prepared from Underutilized Crops
Biscuits from Proso Millet Biscuits from Foxtail Millet
Composition ratio: 30% millet + 70% wheat flour

32. Hybrid Boer Kids

33. Boer Goat
Dual purpose popular
back yard poultry breed

34. Black Pig: Hurrah, Nagpuri and Saddle Back (2nd Generation)
Low Cost Pig Fattening
• 50% Brewer's residue with
local byproducts to fattening
pigs for economic production
•
• On farm result: Net profit of
1977 Rs/pig in 36 weeks of
fattening period

35. Promising effect of Pentasulfates in Khari disease in buffaloes

36. Buffaloes after Medication
Before medication After medication

37. Improved breed of a
Buffalo (Murrah) for
meat, milk and draft in
Tarai
Indigenous Buffaloes
for milk and meat in
mid hills
Cross breeding
program is under way
to improve the
productivity

38. Grass Varieties in Process for Release
White clover (Laxmi): 30-40 t/ha
Jai Grass (Ganesh): 60-70 t/ha
Jai Grass (Parbati) 38

39. Year round
forage
production
in some
parts of
Nepal
39

40. Fish Seed Production Technology Developed
Rewa (Chagunius chaguni) Hade (Labeo pangusia)
Gardi (Labeo dero)
Biodiversity conservation by maintaining several
indigenous fish species in Kaligandaki

41. Rainbow Trout Technology for Mid and High Hills
• Fish production technology package developed
• Frys production at farmers level and
commercialized the technology
• Technology exported to Thailand and Pakistan

42. Tilapia Pond Culture
Harvesting size
Max: 200-300 g
Masculined 400-500 g
Production
Max: 3.5 m ton/ha
Masculined: 6.5m ton/ha
Survival: 85%
Sex change technology in Tilapia developed (92% Male)

43. Breeding technique for cold water
local fishes (Sahar, Asala, Gardhi,
Hade, Phaketa, Katle) developed Sahar
Gardi
Breeding technology for
ornamental fish developed

44. 3. Climate Resilient Varieties/Technologies
A. Drought Tolerant Rice Varieties
1. Sukhha dhan-1
2. Sukhha dhan-2
3. Sukhha dhan-3
4. Tarahara-1
5. Hardinath-2 Sukhha Dhan-1
Sukhha Dhan 3 Sukhha Dhan 2 44

45. B. Submergence Tolerance Rice Varieties
1. Swarna sub-1
2. Samba Masuli sub-1
• Improved through Marker Assisted Backcrossing
• Submergence tolerance (up to 15 days)
Swarna sub-1 Samba Masuli Sub-1
• Nearly 50 MT seeds of these varieties produced and distributed to
the farmers of eastern to mid and far-western Tarai during 2011

46. Climate Resilient Maize Varieties
Released Varieties
1. Deuti ( Drought tolerant)
2. Poshilo Makai-1 (QPM)
Promising Genotypes
1. 05SADVI (GLS tolerant)
2. 07SADVI (GLS tolerant)
3. ZM 401 (GLS tolerant)
4. ZM 627 (GLS tolerant)
5. TLBR S07F16 (Drought, heat tolerant)
6. BLSBR S07F12 (Drought, heat tolerant)
7. RML-4 X NML-2 (Released Hybrid)

47. Gray Leaf Spot Tolerant Maize Varieties
1. Manakamana-3
2. Ganesh-1
3. Shitala
4. Deuti
5. ZM627
6. TL03AS2
7. CLA87/C Local vs Manakamana-3

48. Ug99 Resistant Wheat Variety (Vijay)
BL 3063
NL 1064
Spot Blotch tolerant: Vijay, Gautam, NL1073
Heat tolerant (terminal heat stress): Gautam 48

49. g]kfn s[lif cg';Gwfg kl/ifbsf j}1flgsx? qmdzM dbg/fh e§, ;/nf
zdf{, lbks e08f/L, w'|aaxfb'/ yfkf / g'tg/fh uf}tdn] klxnf] Borlaug
Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) Gene Stewardship Award k|fKt ug{
;kmn ePsf 5g . of] cGt/fli6«o:t/sf] Award ux'FafnLdf nfUg]
sfnf] l;Gb'/] -Ug99 _ nufot l;Gb'/] /f]ux? cj/f]ws hftx? -ljho /
cGo kfOknfOgdf ePsf_ sf] ljsf; / ltgsf] lj:tf/ u/L g]kfnsf] vfB
;'/Iffdf 7"nf] 6]jf k'¥ofPjfkt lbOPsf] xf] .
A team of Nepali wheat scientists have received Borlaug Rust Initiative
Gene Stewardship First Global Award in 2 September 2012 in Beijing
for developing and out scaling of Rust resistant varieties including Ug99,
killer disease of wheat 49

50. Climate Resilient Technology
Urea Molasses Mineral
Block (UMMB) reduces
methane gas in the
rumen by more than
two times (7 Vs 17%)

51. National Agriculture Genetic Resource Centre (Genebank)
Established in 2010
Area: 2.5 hectare
Total collection: >9000 accessions
of 70 different crops
Facilities
• Short -term storage (Seed
Bank)
• Field Gene bank
• Tissue Bank
• DNA Bank
• Molecular Research Lab

52. 4. Mechanization
Corn Sheller: Roller type coffee pulper:
Capacity 15 kg maize Capacity is 60 kg/ hr.
shelling per hour where as Technology transferred to private sector
manually a women can shell More than 120 pulpers commercialized
5-8 kg per hour

53. Millet Thresher cum Pearler Low cost Solar Dryer
• Capacity of threshing and pearling • Appropriate to dry apple,
is 40-50 kg/hr vegetables, fish ,meat
• Threshing efficiency is 97% and • Temperature ranges between 35-55
pearling efficiency 98 % degree Celsius
• Capacity 12 kg/ batch (24-48 hr)

54. Challenges and Issues
• Yield gap between experimental plots and farmers' fields
• Increasing youth migration from rural area resulting in labor
scarcity and feminization of agriculture
• Food Safety and Pesticide Hazards Issues
• Production uncertainty brought by climate changes
• High cost of labor and key inputs (fertilizer, fuel) resulting in
less profitability of farming
• Lack of interest in agricultural profession among young and
educated professionals
• Poor incentives in public research to attract, motivate and
retain high caliber dedicated scientists

55. Yield Gap of Maize in Nepal
9
7 6.7
1.0
6
5.7
5
4.5 3.5
4
Yield in ton
3
2.2
2
1
0
Experimental National Attainable Hybrid
Yield (OPVs) Average Yield

56. Priorities and Strategies of NARC
A. Food and Nutrition Security at National and
Regional Level
Development of improved varieties and breeds employing
modern tools
• Thrust on hybrid development
• Conservation of Genetic Resources
• Niche Specific Technology Development
B. Income and Employment Generation
Technology development and transfer (offseason vegetable,
seed production, livestock for milk and eat, fisheries, ginger,
tea, cardamom, honey, mandarin orange, etc)

57. Strategy of NARC…
C. Commercialization and Import Substitution
 Development/identification of appropriate agricultural
mechanization technology
 Focus of crops for import substitution viz. sugarcane,
vegetables, seed, fruits, meat, fish, vegetables, flower etc.
 Linkage with private entrepreneurs and industries
D. Climate SMART Agriculture and NRM
• Technology development for stress condition
• Technology Development for Integrated Pest Management and
Resource Conservation
• Conservation, utilization and maintenance of soil, water and
biodiversity
• Development and promotion of Resource Conservation
Technologies

58. Current status of Collaborative Research on Livestock
Climate Change
• Project initiation
workshop
• Work plan developed
• Site visits: Site selection
• Farmers selected
• Farmer’s field selected
• Baseline data collected
Inception workshop Training
• Training of farmers in
forage production
• Forage crops and– supply
chain established
• Forage crop research
• Reproduction studies
• Breeding and AI
continued
Fodder Demonstration AI and Animal Breeding
Training

59. Research Location

60. Areas for Strengthening Collaboration with Michigan
State University & Other Universities & Research Institutes
A. Collaboration in Agriculture and NRM Research
• Collaborative research in developing modern
technologies for food security:
– Integrated Pest Management and Organic Agriculture
– Biotechnology and food safety
– Climate change research in crops, horticulture, livestock, fishery
– Conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources
– Conservation agriculture
– Agricultural mechanization
• Socioeconomic, foresight and policy research

61. B. Collaboration in Capacity Building
• Exchange of researchers between NARC and MSU
• Research Fellowships (Two-Way)
• Post-graduate and on-job training of NARC scientists
• Technical supervisory guidance and facilities for PhD
and MS field research of MSU students in Nepal
• Research Internships for MSU students
• Partnerships in R&D at different levels

62. Potential Areas of Collaboration
• Developing policy guidelines to establishing/enable
linkages with teaching, extension/outreach, and
research
• Guidance in basic and applied research—crops,
livestock, forests and people
• Collaboration in further development of research
laboratories, training of laboratory scientists and
technicians
• Further development of NARC’s capacity through in-
country training in collaboration with AFU, DOA and
DLSand international partners

63. Think for future generation