Marketing challenges outweigh production for farmers in Sudurpaschim

Attaria: Farmers have said that marketing agricultural and fruit products is more challenging than producing them. Kanchanpur farmer Surendra Chaudhary, who cultivates bananas on 12 bighas of land and also grows berna, said that although banana production is relatively easy, marketing remains the biggest hurdle.

Speaking at the Far West Province-level consultation meeting of the Heifer International Nepal program on Sunday, Chaudhary noted that bananas are currently being sold to farmers at Rs 20 per dozen, but the same bananas are sold in the market for Rs 100 per dozen. He said that farmers have no control over this price gap, leaving middlemen as the primary beneficiaries. In cases of market saturation caused by excessive production, he suggested that bananas should be processed into products such as banana chips and alcohol. He emphasized that the state should clearly determine production requirements and expected market capacity.

Most speakers at the consultation meeting echoed that marketing has become a bigger challenge than agricultural production. While reviewing the Heifer program, participants stressed the need to prioritize marketing and commodity production alongside traditional farming.

Dirgha Narayan Koirala, Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Forests of Sudurpaschim Province, said that farmers' real success lies in successful marketing. He pointed out that despite Nepalese farmers being forced to discard products on the roads, agricultural imports from abroad are not being controlled, causing further harm to local farmers. Even as Indian agricultural products enter Nepal’s hilly districts through various border points, Nepalese farmers are compelled to throw away milk and fruits due to lack of market access, he added.

Shankar Shah, Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, said that agricultural development requires equal emphasis on marketing as much as on production. He said production will naturally increase when a reliable market exists. The government, he stated, is giving priority to commodity production and product labeling to support market access.

Sudurpaschim Provincial Secretary Bimal Prasad Baral reminded organizations to align their work with national policies. He said linking agricultural products to the specific regions where they are produced would improve their promotion. Baral emphasized the importance of branding and packaging, noting that improved branding can increase product prices by 5 to 40 percent. He also stated that international standards must be adhered to when exporting produce.