NEPAL National IPM Programme

Achievements:
The National IPM programme implemented in Nepal in the past with the technical support from FAO under the umbrella of the Plant Protection Directorate/DoA has significantly contributed to the development of a pool of trained human resources (technicians and farmers) to support farmers on IPM initiatives. The Programme has created awareness among the farmers on the concept, principles and methods of IPM and has educated them on ecology-based crop production (mainly rice and some vegetables) technologies. The Programme also initiated a process of institutionalization and mainstreaming of IPM within the regular activities of DoA at National, Regional and District levels. Furthermore, the Programme has created a facilitating environment for other institutions from the non-government and academic sectors to collaborate and promote IPM and FFS-based farmer training and action research.

Some of the results reported from the field through various reports and observations indicated the following:

Ecosystem Understanding
Over 95% of the farmers who participated in FFS reported an increase in the understanding of agro-ecosystem. The ecological concept of pest management has gradually been translated into practice. Farmers have started making better decisions on crop and pest management after analyzing the actual field and crop conditions.

Yield Increases and improvements in local Food Security
Food in-security is the major problem of the farmers in rural areas. As yields and incomes have increased following adoption of IPM, rural communities experienced improvements in their food security situation. Depending on the locations, IPM farmers experienced 15-25% yield increases in rice and 33-48% in vegetables.

Reduction in use of hazardous pesticides, resulting into improvement in Health and Environment
The use of pesticide was reduced by 40% in al most all FFS areas. The number of non- users increased and the frequency of pesticide application by users were reduced after FFS. There was a desirable behavioral change in the farmers from the habit of calendar spraying to following safe methods, selecting safer pesticides and judicious use of pesticides as last alternatives. With the introduction of IPM-FFS over 80% of the IPM farmers confirmed to be in much better health condition and 79% stated that their frequency of doctor visits and medicine costs had reduced. Around 85% of the farmers who participated in FFS have reported that they have seen changes in the environment. Eco-friendly crop and pest management made possible beekeeping and cultivating crops in all three seasons thus increasing the cropping intensity.

Social Inclusion & Gender Mainstreaming
The FFS process has shown that it has been able to bring together not only men and women in a common activity, but also different social classes. On average, Janajatis and other deprived sections of the population made up 36% of the FFS participants and 41% of the farmer trainers. In some regions, the percentage was as high as 48%. Overall, women participation in IPM FFS training was high both in rice and vegetable FFS (50-70 % depending on the regions).

Sustainability:
Policy
The Long-term Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP-1995-2015) of the Government of Nepal has identified IPM based on FFS approach as the specific strategy for Plant Protection. The governments’ Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), which constitutes the foundation for the Tenth Five Years Plan (2002-2007), emphasizes agro-ecosystem approach as one of the key strategies for promoting agriculture growth and development, with IPM as the national strategy for pest management.
The Government has adopted a framework of national plant protection policy document, titled: “Plant Protection: The Basic Paper for the Agricultural Decade”. The document emphasizes integration of regulatory mechanisms and implementation of the IPM Programme.
In the area of agricultural extension, Farmer to Farmer Extension, based on FFS approach, has been adopted as an extension tool for rural development and the transfer of agricultural technologies.
Programme efforts are in place to draft and prepare an IPM policy that shapes the future of the IPM related issues.

Adoption of FFS, Linkage, Coordination and Collaboration
Farmers and local governments have shown high levels of enthusiasm for the adoption and implementation of the IPM programme and the FFS approach. Involvement of NGO/INGO partners (such as World Education, CARITAS, MADE/Nepal, Helvetas/Nepal) in programme implementation has increased significantly over the years. Coordination of IPM activities features dominantly in the regular activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. The funding to support FFS from the government resources including from the local government institutions under the Ministry of Local Development has gradually increased in recent years.

Development of local institutions
Over 90,000 farmers participated in IPM-FFS since the beginning of the program in 1997. Folks and farmers in rural areas now realize that community participation can play a key role for the development of their village or cluster. Farmers groups (IPM-FFS group) are increasingly being organized at the local levels. So far, 36 District level IPM Farmers Associations have been formed and are active in supporting local IPM farmer groups.
Innovations:
To take full advantage of the IPM-FFS approach for the development of community-based sustainable agriculture, the Government of Nepal, with FAO support, has developed a broader road map document for IPM development in the country. Emphasis is placed on enhancing the capacity of the farmers on IPM based  crop production and pest management through cropping cycle based yearlong FFS, spreading successful IPM technologies, increase agricultural production, promote marketing of safer IPM crop products, introduce mechanism for self certification for IPM produce based on honest/truthful labeling and foster gender and socially sensitive development strategies. The empowerment of farmers and formation of associations and cooperatives has been featured prominently in the document. Also important is the engagement of research institutions and universities in participatory IPM technology development and inclusion of IPM and FFS curricula in the regular academic courses of agricultural institutes and vocational training centers. High on the agenda is also the promotion of procedures for good governance, transparency and accountability at different layers of programme implementation. These objectives are to be achieved through a broad network of partnerships between and among government agencies, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGO and INGO), private sector partners and local IPM-FFS alumni groups.

Application of FFS-approach to non-IPM areas
The FFS approach initially confined within the IPM programme, has now been adopted in various other sectors, such as for the promotion and skill development in fisheries, livestock, bee keeping, sericulture, sustainable soil management, youth mobilization and income generating activities in the conflict-affected areas, climate change, bio-diversity conservation etc.

Some initial results from the currently on-going IPM Programme :
Up-scaling of FFS
As part of the IPM intensification program, a total of 142 year long cropping cycle based FFS have been implemented in the selected wards of the  pilot Village Development Committees (VDC) of pilot districts. Likewise, 435 season long FFS have been conducted from the regular PPD component. In aggregate, a total of 14,225 farmers have been trained through the IPM FFS among which 60% participants were women.  

IPM Curriculum Development and their internalization
IPM and FFS curricula have been revised and up graded encompassing the entire aspects of crop production and pest management including IPM group strengthening and marketing aspects for the conduction of year long cropping cycle based FFS. Similarly, the guidelines for the execution of post FFS follow up and support programs and the training curricula of TOF and refresher courses for farmers, junior level technicians and officers have also been revised and up-graded taking into account of the newly inbuilt components in the FFS curricula and post FFS follow up support programs.
As part of the programme initiative to institutionalize the IPM and FFS within the academic courses of the Vocational Training Centers, suitable curricula for IPM and FFS designed and inbuilt within the courses of Junior Agriculture technicians. Likewise, existing curricula on IPM of graduate and post graduate courses of the Agricultural Institutes also been revised and are in the process of inclusion in the respective courses. 
Human resource Development to support  IPM and FFS
Programme has prepared a significant number of facilitators, both farmers and technicians through specialized ToF on IPM and FFS as per the up-graded curricula. Also, the existing facilitators trained in the past have been refreshed through the revised training curriculum. A total of 252 farmer and 136 JT/JTAs have graduated from TOF training as IPM facilitators and 305 existing IPM farmer facilitators received refresher TOF. In the intensive pilot districts, 99% of trained farmer facilitators are engaged in the facilitation of FFS and Post FFS follow-up support programs.
Yearlong Cropping Cycle based FFS broaden the knowledge base of the farmers resulting in better decision making
The modality of yearlong cropping cycle based FFS has been developed and adopted by the programme to enable the farmers to learn about the effect of seasonal variations on insect pests population, disease occurrence, specific requirements of soil, water and all other components of crop production practices of the crops that are grown during cool, dry and wet period of the year and based on to make better decisions on different management options. After participation in the yearlong FFS, in the pilot villages, farmers have acknowledged that the level of their knowledge base significantly increased and decision-making skill improved on crop production and pest management practices of various crops represented in the year long cropping cycle. This has positively impacted on the level of crop yields compared to their own traditionally adopted practices. Initial results obtained from the FFS have revealed that with optimization of crop production practices the crop yields of Potato, Vegetables, Maize and Rice can be increased by 25, 37, 20 and 27 % respectively.  
Institutionalization of FFS groups at community level
Institutionalization of FFS groups at the community level and strengthening of their organizational and manangement skill is high in agenda of the programme support to ensure the sustainability and further diffusion of program interventions. In line with this, FFS farmers after attending the yearlong FFS, are being encouraged and supported to organize themselves into a formal community level IPM groups along with by laws and registered in their respective District Agriculture Development Offices. The programme has also been making efforts to enhance their organizational and management capacity through specialized trainings and follow up support programs so as to ensure their gradual transformation into IPM cooperatives. As part of this effort, 60 FFS groups of different pilot districts have gained legal identity after registration in District Agriculture Development Office (DADO) and their functions are organized through various sub-committees such as technical, resource mobilization and marketing sub committees. These groups are gradually taking ownership and providing umbrella support to the member farmers in organized production and marketing of IPM crop products. The group members are more increasingly accessing to the support provider's institutions for additional support and services.
Social inclusion and women empowerment
The programme has adopted an inclusive approach for promotion of community development and sustainable agriculture by encouraging the participation of women and people from disadvantaged and ethnic groups in the FFS, post FFS follow up activities and other support programs. The data obtained revealed participation of women 60%, Janjati 20%, Dalit 7% and people from Madeshi community 28% in the FFS and other follow up and support programs. Exposure to programme interventions has resulted in increased cohesiveness among the people of different groups in the community and conflict arising from the ethnic groups has observed minimizing. Women household members are increasingly playing key role in selection of the crops, crop varieties, seed quality and in optimizing the use of various production inputs including use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides.
Scaling up of FFS learning, IPM based crop production and marketing
The knowledge and skill acquired by the graduates of yearlong FFS are increasingly been adopted and practiced in growing different crops in their own individual farm plots. Post FFS follow up support programs encouraging the farmers to prepare individual farm plan, keep individual farm record book and practice while undertaking the IPM based crop production. A system for inspection and certification of the crop production activities of the individual group members been developed, introduced and practiced by the IPM groups, which ensures the compliance of IPM technologies in production activities undertaken by the individual group members in their own field. Recommendations for the marketing of the crop products produced by the individual group members are being done based on the findings of individual farmers' field inspection and decided by the IPM Group meeting. The data received so far suggested that about 95% of the FFS graduates are engaged in production of different crops like potato, seasonal and off-season vegetables using IPM technology and gradually channelizing the products to the markets.
Replication of the IPM intensification modules in additional districts
The modules of IPM intensification tested and validated by the intensive IPM pilot component (Cluster based IPM programme intervention, Comprehensive need identification and programme planning, Yearlong cropping cycle based FFS, FFS group institutionalization, Organized crop production, certification and marketing  of IPM crop products by the IPM groups) supported by FAO been gradually transferred to other districts. As part of this effort, the regular IPM component internalized within PPD have initiated replicating the modules developed by the intensive component in additional 5 districts. In these districts potential VDC and wards have been selected for programme interventions following the set criteria, comprehensive need identification and programme planning conducted in each selected VDC and farmers are engaged in acquiring the knowledge and skill through yearlong cropping cycle based FFS.
System of Monitoring and Backstopping Support in place
Efforts are in place to make functional various IPM coordination committees constituted at National, Regional and District level. As a result, monitoring and back stopping support from the programme stakeholders have been regularized from all layers of coordination committees. In addition to this, under each DADO, a District level IPM Technical Team (IPM DTT) has been constituted under the coordination of the Chief of DADO and made functional, which at regular interval provide monitoring and backstopping support to the IPM groups and farmer facilitators in the implementation of programme intervention at the community level. A system for collection of feed back and grievances introduced and the reporting from the farmers to National level maintained.