High-Value Agriculture Project in Hill and Mountain Areas
High-Value Agriculture Project in Hill and Mountain Areas
This project helps remote communities to integrate into the local rural economy through initiatives that develop small businesses, increase trade and build the capacity of rural institutions.
The project operates in mid-western Nepal, where there is a need for improved infrastructure and better access to services and markets.
Because one of the challenges facing poor rural people living in Nepal's hill and mountain areas is economic exclusion, the project targets socially excluded and vulnerable people such as dalits, indigenous groups and women. It aims to increase the incomes of these segments of the population by responding to the private sector's demand for 18 high-value crops – including vegetables, fruits, non-timber forest products, medicinal and aromatic plants, and livestock – which are currently not well processed or marketed.
The project also enables farmers to:
- Develop strong commercial links with traders and sustainably raise their incomes
- Receive training and support in production and post-harvest techniques
- Improve their access to technical services, finances, farm supplies and market information.
