Login

Forget Password?
Login With Facebook
Don't Have An Account? Sign Up

Sign Up

Already Have An Account? Login
Read Our Privacy Policy
Back to Login
  • National
  • Politics
  • Valley
  • Opinion
  • Money
  • Sports
  • Culture & Lifestyle

  • National
    • Madhesh Province
    • Lumbini Province
    • Bagmati Province
    • National Security
    • Koshi Province
    • Gandaki Province
    • Karnali Province
    • Sudurpaschim Province
  • Politics
  • Valley
    • Kathmandu
    • Lalitpur
    • Bhaktapur
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • As it is
    • Letters
    • Editorial
    • Cartoon
  • Money
  • Sports
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • International Sports
  • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Brunch with the Post
    • Movies
    • Life & Style
    • Theater
    • Entertainment
    • Books
    • Fashion
  • Health
  • Food
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Investigations
  • Climate & Environment
  • World
  • Science & Technology
  • Interviews
  • Visual Stories
  • Crosswords & Sudoku
  • Horoscope
  • Forex
  • Corrections
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Today's ePaper
Saturday, August 16, 2025

Without Fear or FavourUNWIND IN STYLE

24.11°C Kathmandu
Air Quality in Kathmandu: 50
300+Hazardous
0-50Good
51-100Moderate
101-150Unhealty for Sensitive Groups
151-200Unhealthy
201-300Very Unhealthy
Sat, Aug 16, 2025
24.11°C Kathmandu
Air Quality in Kathmandu: 50
  • What's News :

  • Death caused by dengue
  • Alcohol poisoning kills Nepalis
  • Nepali AI policy
  • Mass judge transfer
  • Book review
  • Miss Nepal

Money

Regulatory body to be set up to oversee organic farming

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is moving to regulate organic farming as farmer groups and political leaders have been declaring chemical free zones haphazardly, and consumers are being fobbed off with products incorrectly labelled organic. Regulatory body to be set up to oversee organic farming
bookmark
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • Whatsapp
  • mail
Rajesh Khanal
Published at : May 2, 2019
Updated at : May 3, 2019 07:27
Kathmandu

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is moving to regulate organic farming as farmer groups and political leaders have been declaring chemical free zones haphazardly, and consumers are being fobbed off with products incorrectly labelled organic.

Two months ago, the government formed a taskforce under Agriculture Minister Chakra Pani Khanal to develop policy to oversee organic farming across the country. The 15-member panel, that includes nine experts from the sector, will urge the government to form an autonomous body to look after various aspects of organic agricultural practices.

Ganga Dutta Acharya, under-secretary of the ministry, said the panel would recommend forming standards and a regulatory body to address the unwise practice of declaring organic farming zones without making the necessary preparation. “We will recommend to the government to form an independent board through the federal budget for the next fiscal year,” said Acharya who is also the member-secretary of the taskforce.

The government’s move follows increasing instances of consumers being cheated by agro product suppliers who pass off farm products grown using artificial fertiliser as organic products. According to the ministry, the government declared Jumla district an organic zone a decade ago, but it has been allocating a large budget to supply chemical fertilisers and pesticides in the district.

Last year, the government of Karnali Province also decided to develop the region as a fully organic province. But the government does not have clear guidelines on how to make the region fully chemical free.

There is no government mechanism to verify whether a product labelled as organic is chemical free or not. Due to this reason, consumers are being made to pay a premium price for farm products grown using artificial fertiliser, and they also face the risk of consuming foods contaminated with chemicals.

Acharya said the government would implement standards that would bar sales of chemicals in areas proclaimed as organic.

“In addition, the government will transfer funds being provided for chemical fertilisers and pesticides to manure production in the concerned region.”

The government in its budget statement for fiscal 2018-19 has prioritised organic production of agricultural goods.

The budget has also targeted setting up factories producing organic fertilisers in collaboration with cooperatives and the private sector. In addition, the government has planned to allocate grants to establish one biological pesticide laboratory in each province. “An effective regulation system will be established to promote food hygiene and quality,” the budget statement said.

The proposed board will also be mandated to check the quality of the manure used in organic farming. “The board could also devise separate standards allowing farmers to use small amounts of chemicals as completely replacing chemical fertiliser by natural fertiliser may cause a sharp decline in harvests,” said Krishna Prasad Paudel, an agricultural expert and member of the panel.

The government has banned the use of 21 chemicals including chlorden, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, aldrin, heptachlor, mirex, toxaphen, BHC, lindane, phosphamidon, organomercury fungicide, methyl parathion and monocrotophos as they can create a long-term impact on humans and the environment, but farmers have been using them rampantly on their fields.

Nepal spends more than Rs12 billion every year to purchase farm use chemicals. According to government statistics, organic farming is being done on less than 1 percent of the 2.11 million hectares of arable land in the country.


Rajesh Khanal

Rajesh Khanal is a business reporter for The Kathmandu Post covering insurance, the capital market, trade and macroeconomic issues. Khanal has also taught economics at a number of colleges in Kathmandu.


Related News

Nepal rolls out ambitious AI policy
CLEAR brings English Premier League closer to Nepali fans
Prakriti Resort wins sustainable tourism award
Upaya secures Rs280 million fund from Dolma to expand logistics services
Le Sherpa Concept expands MTR franchise in Nepal
Paddy floor price for 2025-26 harvest goes up over 1 percent

Most Read from Money

Everest fees rise, but Nepal’s ‘hidden peaks’ are now free
China’s dominance in Nepal EV market leaves India trailing
Rail cargo access reaches Biratnagar and Bhairahawa
Nepal’s food import bill hits Rs360 billion as India eases curbs
Naima Nepal Mobility Expo extended till Monday

Editor's Picks

Students say they are abused under guise of discipline at a Kathmandu school
Exploring ‘forbidden’ hours: Women assert access to public space with midnight walks
Nepali women being sent to Hong Kong on fake Indian IDs
Bitter husband-wife rift throws Nagarik Unmukti Party into chaos
Drought-hit farmers die hooking wires to mains for irrigation

E-PAPER | August 16, 2025

  • Read ePaper Online
×
ABOUT US
  • About the Post
  • Masthead
  • Editorial Standards & Integrity
  • Workplace Harassment Policy
  • Privacy Policy
READ US
  • Home Delivery
  • ePaper
CONTACT US
  • Write for the Post
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Advertise in the Post
  • Work for the Post
  • Send us a tip
INTERACT WITH US
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
OUR SISTER PUBLICATIONS
  • eKantipur
  • saptahik
  • Nepal
  • Nari
  • Radio Kantipur
  • Kantipur TV
© 2025 www.kathmandupost.com
  • Privacy Policy
Top