Nepal (Enhancing farmers’ access to quality planting materials (seedlings, plantlets, and saplings) through production improvement via tissue culture lab and horticulture resource centers). Agriculture sector plays a vital role in the economy of Nepal. The sector accounts for 23.1% of total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and offers employment opportunities for 64% of total employment due to which the country is predominantly an agricultural country (World Bank, 2021). The nation has diverse agro-ecological zones favored by altitudes and topography that offers comparative advantages for growing horticultural crop species ranging from tropical to temperate fruits, flowers, vegetables, spices and plantation crops. In Nepal, the growing annual population rate of 2.3% (World Bank, 2021) creates a big challenge for the agriculture sector to feed its increasing population. Also, the increased awareness on the requirement of a balanced diet for good health and immune system has drastically increased the demand for diets high in fruits and vegetables (Karki et al., 2021) as they are reported to have health-improving benefits (Serna-Saldivar, S.O. 2016). Similarly, the economic change and increased purchasing power from income growth and migrant remittances have led to considerable increase in demand for fruits and vegetables further (CASA Nepal Country Team, 2020).
However, the swelling demand growing at a higher pace is not met by the domestic production and the deficit is fulfilled largely by imports from India, China, and other countries, which is increasing continuously. For illustration, Nepal imported agricultural products worth NRs. 378.60 billion in 2021/22, which was NRs. 55 billion more than the 2020/2021 and includes import of fruits (apple, banana, mango, orange, etc.) and vegetables (potato, tomato, beans, Cole crops, etc.) of NRs. 36.54 billion and NRs. 25 billion respectively (myRepublica, 2022). Recent media reported a 65% increase in the import of key agricultural products between 2015/16 to 2019/2020 (Prasain, 2020) and double (100%) to around NRs. 379 billion in the past seven years (myRepublica, 2022). Besides the imports of ready-to-serve fruits and vegetables, Nepal is also importing a huge number of grafted saplings and seedlings of different fruits (banana, lemon, apple, walnut, grape, etc.), which was 5,45,420 saplings in 2076/77 of which banana alone is 200,000 (Karki et al., 2021). Increasing horticultural production is one of the key measures to assure the demand fulfillment, food and nutrition security, and livelihood enhancement. Many factors contribute to attaining this situation like timely availability and accessibility to quality planting materials, labor, irrigation, etc. However, this improvement can only be effective and sustainable if farmers have regular access to affordable quality planting materials (Astatkie, 2005). Reports have suggested that improving the genetic and physical quality of planting materials alone contributes an increase up to 40%, especially if farmers continue to renew their planting materials stock (Maredia et al., 1999). The lack of sufficient, reliable, and regular supply of planting materials (seeds, seedlings, saplings, etc.) among the farmers has been identified as a major constraint to improve horticultural production in Nepal. So, farmers continue to largely depend on their own planting materials which are low quality. In this limelight, the second part of the project aims to improve production and increase farmers’ access to quality horticultural planting materials in Nepal through tissue culture approach (banana and citrus) for fruit crop and high-tech nursery or horticulture resource center for grafted seedlings for major vegetable crops (Asparagus, Moringa, Broccoli, Cucurbits, Cole crops, Chili, etc.).