PlantwisePlus Blog

Digital tools are increasingly being adopted in agriculture in Nepal, fostering productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. Whether mobile apps, farm management software, weather forecasting, remote sensing, GIS, or e-extension, these tools empower farmers with crucial information and services. As such, the digitization of farming gives farmers the opportunity to grow more, reduce costs and improve food security.

Workshop on digital tools in Nepal

A recent one-day workshop took place to help key PlantwisePlus stakeholders better understand the status quo and future opportunities digital tools present. Entitled ‘Landscape Analysis for the Uptake of Digital Tools’, the event was organized by the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, Hariharbhawan Lalitpur, Nepal, at Kathmandu. CABI supported the event to understand the current landscape of digital tool usage and identify requirements, content sources, and technical challenges pertaining to the adoption of digital tools in Nepal.

Dr. Vinod Pandit, Acting Regional Director of CABI South Asia, gave an overview of the PlantwisePlus programme as well as past and ongoing work in Nepal. Madhu Manjari, Agri-Digital Tools Coordinator, and Dr. Mahesh H. M. Crop Health Advisor, facilitated presentations and hands-on training on various CABI digital tools, including the PlantwisePlus Toolkit, Crop Sprayer App, CABI Bio-protection Portal, and CABI Academy courses. The participants discussed the use of digital tools in Nepal’s agricultural system, the role of stakeholders and future action plans. Kritika Khanna took a session on gap analysis in the extension system, and Akanksha Nagpal on fair data.

Smt. Sabitri Baral, Chief of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, Hariharbhawan Lalitpur, Nepal, chaired the workshop. The main guest, Dr. Hari Bahadur K.C., Director General of the Department of Agriculture, expressed appreciation for CABI’s work in the crop protection sector in Nepal. Dr. K.C. also emphasized the importance of facilitating and regulating digital tools for disseminating farmer-friendly technologies in Nepal’s agricultural sector.

Digital tools making a difference to Nepal’s plant health system

All stakeholders appreciated CABI’s contribution to Nepal’s plant health system, particularly through the plant clinic programme and PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank products like Fact Sheets and Pest Management Decision Guides. They also applauded tools, including Horizon Scanning Tool and Pest Risk Analysis tools, due to the crucial role they play in the country’s phytosanitary system.

The agricultural paradigm shift, fueled by digitization, enables farmers to leverage information and communication technologies for crop management. The workshop underscored the transformative impact of digital tools, paving the way for a more informed agricultural sector in Nepal.

PlantwisePlus

PlantwisePlus gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS), Netherlands; European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships (INTPA, EU); the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), United Kingdom; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Switzerland; the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR); the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China (MARA)