Agricultural diversification in Nepal

Abstract

Agricultural diversification into high-value commodities improves the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in poor countries like Nepal. This chapter discusses diversification within the agriculture sector between 1995 and 2015, which highlights the expansion in the production of high-value agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, livestock and fishery sub-sectors at the expense of cereal crops such as rice, maize and wheat. It analyses the main drivers of agricultural diversification, constraints to and opportunities for diversification, and identifies policy recommendations for faster pace of agricultural diversification.