14th January 2024, Kathmandu
Dr. Qu Dongyu, the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, visited an agricultural farm in Mandandeupur municipality, Ward No. 8, Kavre district.
Observing the farm on Saturday, January 13, 2024, Dr. Qu Dongyu praised the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technology, emphasizing its potential to boost agricultural production while keeping costs low.
The Director General shared his personal experience, being born in China and raised as a farmer’s son, and emphasized the positive impact of IPM technology on farmers’ lives.
Dr. Qu Dongyu expressed joy at the adoption of IPM technology in Nepal, stating that it plays a crucial role in enhancing the standard of living for farmers. He announced the UN FAO’s readiness to collaborate with the Nepalese government to further develop the country’s agricultural sector.
Mayor Waiba stressed the importance of diversifying dairy products and reducing costs to improve farmers’ livelihoods. He commended the use of “TelePlant” for pesticide spraying and disease identification, urging increased investments in marketing and mechanization to ensure farmers receive proper benefits.
The application of IPM technology in Mandandeupur since 1999 AD has significantly reduced pesticides in vegetables, with farmers experiencing lower production costs and increased use of biological pesticides. The FAO Director-General expressed gratitude to Mandandeupur residents for the opportunity to observe the successful implementation of IPM technology in their municipality.
This visit marks a crucial step towards international collaboration in agricultural development, with the FAO ready to support Nepal’s efforts to enhance food security, reduce poverty, and protect the environment through sustainable farming practices.
Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Dr. Qu Dongyu Observation Mandandeupur municipality Wada Number-8, Kavre District Agricultural Farm.
He observed the agricultural farm in Mandandeupur municipality ward number 8 of Kavre district on 13th January 2024 on Saturday.
He said that with this technology, farmers can produce healthy vegetables at a low cost and can also increase production. Sharing his experience of being born in China and working as a farmer’s son, Dr. Qi Dongyu said that he is working in this field.
He said that recently IPM technology has played an important role in raising the standard of living of farmers, if the new young generation can be attracted to it, the economic life of the farmers of the world will be enriched and a change in the way of eating of mankind can be brought about.
To reduce pesticides in vegetables and produce vegetables at low cost, integrated pest management technology (IPM) is a popular technology in the world and says that producing vegetables through organic pesticides will be beneficial to human health. Qi Dongyu expressed his happiness that this technology has also been adopted in Nepal.
Stating that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is ready to develop Nepal’s agricultural sector, how can cooperation be done for this? He said that discussions are being held with the government of Nepal.
He expressed his gratitude to the people of Mandandeupura for allowing them to observe the agricultural firm operated by IPM technology.
Tok Bahadur Waiba, the mayor of Mandandeupur Municipality, who presided over the program, said that 77.5 percent of the people in Mandandeupur Municipality are engaged in agriculture, and they are ahead in milk production and vegetable farming compared to other municipalities.
He said that the pest management program conducted with the support of FAO, the Government of Nepal and related agencies has played an important role in crop protection, food security, poverty alleviation, and environmental protection of Mandandeupur municipality.
Stating that dairy production is a priority area among the agricultural produce of the municipality and it is also high in terms of production, he pointed out that diversification of dairy products and cost reduction is the first need of the day to improve the livelihood of farmers.