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Use of Chemical Fertilizers in Nepal—Issues and Implications

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Agricultural Transformation in Nepal

Abstract

This chapter presents relevant empirical evidence to improve the understanding of issues related to the uses of chemical fertilizers, another important production input for agricultural productivity growth. It analyzes the trends of fertilizer use and prices in the country and their distribution across regions and crops and discusses the key emerging patterns of fertilizer use growth and their returns. It then summarizes the policy implications of these patterns.

Many sections of this chapter draw from the IFPRI Discussion Paper 1507.

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Adhikari, Rajendra Prasad; Kaphle, Basu Dev; Shivakoti, Sabnam; and Kumar, Anjani. 2016. IFPRI Discussion Paper 1507. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). http://ebrary.ifpri.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15738coll2/id/130159.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Note that the estimates of manure used here are based on the household endowment of each type of livestock, rather than the actual measures of quantities used. The actual usage of manure must be estimated by separate surveys. The lower livestock holdings in the Terai versus those in the Hills or Mountains imply lower manure usage in the Terai. While future studies must investigate the reasons for lower livestock holdings in the Terai zone, possible reasons may include the hotter and more humid climate in the Terai, which sometimes leads to greater incidence of livestock diseases.

  2. 2.

    For example, Pilbeam et al. (2000) reported that manure provided four times more nitrogen than chemical fertilizer in the mid-Hills in the late 1990s.

Abbreviations

ADB:

Asian Development Bank

AIC:

Agriculture Input Corporation

APROSC:

Agricultural Projects Services Centre

CBS:

Central Bureau of Statistics

DAP:

Diammonium phosphate

EAs:

Enumeration areas

FAO:

Food and Agriculture Organization

IPNS:

Integrated plant nutrient management system

MoAD:

Ministry of Agricultural Development

MoP:

Muriate of potash

NFP:

National Fertilizer Policy

NLSS:

Nepal Living Standard Survey

VDC:

Village Development Committee

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Food Policy Research Institute, 1201 Eye Street, Washington, DC, USA

    Hiroyuki Takeshima

Authors
  1. Hiroyuki Takeshima
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Correspondence to Hiroyuki Takeshima .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Visiting Scientist, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Patan, Nepal

    Ganesh Thapa

  2. Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), New Delhi, India

    Anjani Kumar

  3. Former Director, South Asia Office, International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, India

    P.K. Joshi

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Takeshima, H. (2019). Use of Chemical Fertilizers in Nepal—Issues and Implications. In: Thapa, G., Kumar, A., Joshi, P. (eds) Agricultural Transformation in Nepal. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9648-0_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9648-0_9

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