Episode Details

After years of political instability Nepal now has a new government and rising expectations for reform. In this episode we explore whether sectors like agriculture can finally see meaningful change.

Nepal is often called an agriculture country yet billions worth of food and agricultural inputs are still imported every year. Why has agriculture in Nepal struggled to reach its potential despite having land, water and manpower?

Our guest Pranab Lohani, a greenhouse farming entrepreneur who returned to Nepal after a career on Wall Street, shares his experience building an agriculture business and the challenges he faced.

The conversation explores the structural issues in Nepal’s agriculture sector including irrigation fertilizer imports, land prices, infrastructure and policy stability. We also discuss the opportunities that exist for young entrepreneurs in agriculture beyond traditional farming.

Timestamps 

 0:00 Building an Agriculture Product in Nepal

4:10 How to Maintain Consistency in Farming

8:44 Why Food Security Is National Security

11:02 Nepal Imports 4 Kharba Worth of Food Every Year

15:15 The Irrigation Problem Holding Nepal Back

20:10 Why Most Agricultural Land Still Has No Irrigation

26:59 Hybrid Seeds That Changed Global Agriculture

27:00 Pesticides and the Reality of Modern Farming

28:30 Why Nepal Still Has No Fertilizer Factory

30:10 Organic Fertilizer and the Rise of Vermicompost

34:10 Hidden Opportunities in Nepal’s Agriculture Ecosystem

37:52 Mulching and Saving Water in Farming

38:39 Drip Irrigation and Efficient Agriculture

43:25 How Land Prices Are Killing Agriculture

48:59 Why Young Nepalis Are Leaving the Country

51:23 How Land Plotting Is Destroying Farm Land

57:11 The Biggest Tax Problem for Entrepreneurs

1:00:20 Nepal’s Last 5 Year Leader and Political Stability

1:07:34 Why Infrastructure Matters for Agriculture

1:20:48 Pranab Lohani’s Journey from Wall Street to Farming

1:31:03 Agriculture Jobs Are Growing in Nepal

1:31:57 You Don’t Need a Farm to Work in Agriculture

Article Link: https://ukaalo.com/news/32468/ 

By Pranab Lohani

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🎤 Host: Anup Ghimire

Founder of Doers Nepal 

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