As Nepal’s agriculture sector continues to struggle with chronic underinvestment and rising food imports worth billions of rupees annually, major political parties have placed farmers and farm sector reforms high on their election agendas, pledging structural changes, increased investment and policy overhauls.

The Nepali Congress, the country’s oldest democratic party now under new leadership, has unveiled one of the most detailed agricultural reform plans among the major contenders. Its manifesto prioritises ending the recurring fertiliser crisis that hits farmers each year during the crucial paddy transplantation season in early June.

“By preparing a calendar for fertiliser procurement, we will ensure supply at the time it is actually needed. Farmers will receive fertiliser according to demand, at the required time, in the required quantity, at the price fixed by the state, and at accessible locations,” the party document states.

The party says fertiliser demand will be identified through data-based assessments, with adequate budgetary resources allocated accordingly. It has also pledged to eliminate irregularities in fertiliser procurement, sale and distribution. During periods when electricity production exceeds domestic demand, the party plans to utilise surplus power to operate a fertiliser factory in the Tarai to reduce dependence on imports.

Seeking to make agriculture a dignified and secure profession, the Nepali Congress has proposed scientific classification of farmers, the introduction of farmer credit cards for smallholders, concessional loans and expanded insurance coverage. It has committed to ensuring that agricultural insurance payments are settled within 15 days.

The party has also promised targeted support for landless, small and marginalised farmers through post-production cash grants and financial assistance for value addition in agricultural produce. It says it will develop sustainable solutions to crop damage caused by wild animals such as monkeys, wild boars and blue bulls, provide concessions to those cultivating barren land and offer relief packages to disaster-affected farmers.

To promote market-oriented production, the Congress has proposed crop consolidation, expanded investment in modern irrigation and a 50 percent subsidy on electricity used for irrigation. A Land Bank mechanism will be established through local governments to make productive use of barren fields, while youth-focused commercial agriculture programmes will promote the “earn while you learn” concept.

The party has also pledged to formulate an agricultural industry policy, establish agro-industrial parks and provide tax exemptions, cold storage facilities and transport subsidies for processing industries based on domestic production. It plans to adjust tax disparities between raw material and finished goods imports to encourage domestic agro-industries and establish agricultural equipment rental centres at each local level based on feasibility.

Declaring the coming decade as the “Agricultural Investment Decade”, the Congress aims to ensure that the federal government allocates 5 percent of its budget to agriculture, provinces 10 percent and local governments 15 percent. With a stated goal of strengthening national food security, increasing farm income and reducing the trade deficit, it has promised to significantly cut imports of major agricultural commodities within five years.

The party also plans to promote export-oriented agriculture by utilising air cargo links with Middle Eastern countries. It has pledged to strengthen diplomatic initiatives, quarantine infrastructure, accredited laboratories and technical capacity to address barriers to agricultural and livestock exports.

The CPN-UML, led by KP Sharma Oli, has similarly emphasised transforming traditional farming into a modern, entrepreneurial business model. The party has proposed policy and legal reforms to change the fundamental structure of agriculture, arguing that mechanisation and technology-driven farming can turn the sector into a profitable industry for youth.

The UML manifesto promises concessional loans, insurance facilities and subsidised public land leases for medium- and large-scale farms engaged in crops, livestock, poultry, fisheries and beekeeping. Like the Congress, it proposes a Land Bank to ensure access to land and financial resources, along with minimum support prices, insurance schemes and advance purchase agreements.

The party says skilled agricultural technicians will be deployed directly to farmers’ homes and fields, with at least one agricultural technician and one lead farmer volunteer assigned to every ward. Agricultural education will be introduced from the basic level.

The UML has also pledged to make subsidies, extension services and support price mechanisms more transparent and accountable. It prioritises irrigation infrastructure, rural roads and reliable electricity for production farms, alongside timely access to quality seeds and fertilisers.

To enhance value addition, the party plans to develop collection, storage, grading and processing systems through agro-processing zones and logistics nodes operated by local governments. It has also declared an ambition to develop Nepal as a hub for organic production, offering concessional public land for organic farming, free soil testing and financial and technical support for certification, branding and export.

The Nepali Communist Party, led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has pledged to pass an Integrated Agriculture Act and a Farmers’ Rights Act within one year. The party says it will scale up investment from government, private sector, cooperatives and donor agencies during the ongoing Agricultural Investment Decade to implement transformative agricultural projects.

Farmers will be classified based on production and ownership, and identity cards will be distributed within a year, according to its manifesto. The party has promised to strengthen the National Farmers Commission to ensure direct farmer participation in policymaking and to restructure the Ministry of Agriculture and its subordinate bodies in line with the federal system.

It plans to establish integrated agricultural service centres and laboratories at all local units, guaranteeing at least one agricultural technician and one veterinarian in each ward. Minimum wages, social security and insurance coverage will be extended to agricultural labourers.

The party has also proposed a National Agricultural Disaster Fund to shield farmers from floods, droughts, hailstorms and epidemics. Subsidies, insurance schemes, minimum support prices and market information systems will be digitised to enhance transparency and curb misuse.

The Nepali Communist Party has set a five-year target of achieving self-sufficiency in rice, wheat, maize, vegetables, fruits, sugarcane, milk, meat and honey production. It plans to restructure the National Agricultural Modernisation Project based on production potential and market demand, with emphasis on cash crops such as tea, coffee, sugarcane and areca nut. Subsidies for sugarcane farmers will be ensured during the crushing season.

Within five years, the party aims to expand irrigation coverage to 80 percent of irrigable land, covering 60 percent of total agricultural land. Lift irrigation will be promoted in the hills and surface irrigation in the Tarai, with a 50 percent electricity subsidy for individual farmers and 60 percent for groups and cooperatives.

In contrast, the newish Rastriya Swatantra Party has outlined a comparatively brief and less detailed agricultural programme. The party states that adequate irrigation, reliable insurance, transparent subsidies and mechanisation are key to making farmers prosperous.

It has stressed the need for policy stability to restore agriculture as a respectable occupation and pledged to formulate programmes to increase production in partnership with the private sector. The party says it will allocate adequate resources for necessary infrastructure, reevaluate land use policy and sign trade pacts with an eye on import substitution of agricultural products.

The RSP has also proposed launching fintech and agrotech initiatives to improve productivity, though its manifesto does not offer much in specifics.

With food imports rising and farmer discontent mounting, agriculture has emerged as a central campaign issue. Whether these promises translate into structural reform will depend on political will, fiscal capacity and effective execution.