Thought for food

Farmers in Sundari Danda village were barely interested when proposed planting foxtail millet in their land.

They had not even heard about the crop. Nevertheless, they brought foxtail millet, locally known as Kaguno to preserve native crops.

“Kaguno was historically a staple crop for families, especially to raise children, in Nepal’s villages,” explains Pushpa Subedi of the Bioresources Conservation Movement, a local partner of the Pokhara based non-profit Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD).

The grain along with other indigenous crops has been used as a remedy for ailments ranging from back pain to broken limbs to anaemia. 

Foxtail millet production flourished in Sundari Danda, with the 2kg initially brought to from Lamjung having yielded a harvest of 72kg so far, consequently fetching good prices in the market. Locals have since become active participants in the conservation of indigenous crops. 

In the last 18 years, farmers here have planted and preserved 53 varieties of rice, 16 varieties of millet, eight varieties of yam, as well as gourd and cucumber. But the supply, especially for highly-demand varieties of rice, is insufficient. 

Twenty-two agricultural groups are involved in the Bioresources Conservation Movement’s agricultural biodiversity conservation campaign in the watersheds of Rupa and Begnas lakes. They are involved in the protection of crops, fruits, herbs and plants native to the wetlands.

In the same period, farmers in the Rupa-Begnas wetlands have planted and preserved 53 varieties of rice, 16 varieties of millet, eight varieties of yam, as well as gourd and cucumber, cultivating them in ‘conservation blocks’ fields where endangered crops are planted exclusively. 

As it stands, millet-based indigenous crops are more difficult to harvest, and yield lower profit compared to production costs, which is why farmers are not too keen to put the work in to plant them. And while paddy-based crops are associated with luxury, native millet-based grains are synonymous with the poor, says Subedi, leading to crops being branded सुअन्न (good grain) and कुअन्न (bad grain).

On the other hand, Nepal has yet to prioritise research and development into indigenous crops. Government services and subsidies have also been more focused on increasing the production of crops such as rice, maize, and wheat, while millet-based crops are put on the back burner. 

Until about 30 years ago, native varieties of millet, buckwheat, barley, amaranth leaves were staples to food security in Nepal’s villages. However, road connectivity and access to markets eventually made rice-based food grains readily available across the country, leading to a decline in indigenous crops. 

In recent times, indigenous crop production has increased with the increase in demand for organic products in the market. While rice, maize, and wheat are the most cultivated crops in terms of area and volume, millet, buckwheat, barley, and amaranth leaves are grown across the country in more than 860,000 acres of land. 

“Initially, it was difficult to explain that organic products are better, but once that fact was appropriately conveyed, there have not been any problems in the market,” Subedi says.

The Bioresources Conservation Movement has been distributing native seeds to farmers across all districts of Gandaki Province. The movement now supports 22 farmers’ groups across Pokhara. 

Indigenous crop production has become popular enough that the campaign is struggling to meet the farmers’ demands for seeds. The practice of native crop farming has increased also because such crops can withstand extreme weather conditions, and are receptive to different kinds of fertilisers. 

“Farmers were initially unwilling to plant indigenous crops because they were skeptical of its benefits,” Subedi notes. “Now, it has come to a point that we are not able to meet their demands for native seeds.”

The campaign has also been marketing the crops produced by the farmers and keeps 2% of the profits. Products are supplied to Pokhara and some supermarkets in Kathmandu.

The Bioresources Conservation Movement began in 2008 and runs on income gained through its information centre and organic gift shop, as well as a view tower built with support from LI-BIRD. Earnings are put back into the campaign and the view tower committee, while funds are also distributed to the Biodiversity Conservation Fund and a local primary school.

The Movement operates conservation campaigns to protect six kinds of bio-diversity in Nepal, including crops, grass crops, livestock, aquatic animals, insects of agricultural importance, and micro-organisms. 

“Studies have shown that about 50,000 species go extinct every year due to habitat destruction alone, and about 1 million more species are at risk of extinction," says Ram Krishna Shrestha, former head of the crop development division of the Ministry of Agriculture. “Which is why grassroots-level conservation efforts are crucial.”

It is estimated that 75% of the world's biological diversity has been lost in the last 100 years. Nepal has 3.2% of the world's flora and 1.1% of fauna.

Shrestha adds: “Cheaper products have negatively impacted Nepal’s indigenous crops as well as the farmers. The promotion of indigenous crops needs to be addressed seriously and immediately.”