The Nepali government is doing homework to introduce a National Agriculture Extension Strategy with a view to streamlining funding and delivery of agriculture extension service including knowledge and skill enhancement of farmers.

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has prepared a draft of the strategy which aims at enhancing local bodies' capacity for service delivery, emphasizing the bottom up-approach, and making the service friendly to the disadvantaged groups, spokesperson at the ministry Asheshwor Jha told reporters here on Saturday.

The strategy was prepared in view of the changed context and the operation of multiple service delivery institutions, Nepal's entry into regional and global trading regimes like the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and World Trade Organization, and increasing commercialization of agriculture, he said.

According to Jha, the strategy will be characterized by responsiveness to farmers' needs, equitable access to opportunities and benefits, participation of all stakeholders and incentive to agro-based industries.

"As poor service delivery is one of the key reasons behind low agriculture productivity, the strategy which is expected to address the challenges unfolding at home and abroad, will surely help in boosting the agriculture sector," Jha said.

Source: Xinhua