RE: Youth in agriculture: what lessons can we draw from evaluations? | Eval Forward

Hi Dorothy,

I do not have an opportunity to have a systematic study on the issue your raised but based on my work experience, I have the following points to make.

Subsistence farming with low productivity (both labour and land) is common in agriculture in most of the developing countries. Hence, most of the young population are leaving agriculture farming and are joining international labour force in Nepal. It is considered that agriculture farming is the profession of uneducated people who cannot make livelihoods from other sources. Agriculture universities are preparing ‘good graduates’ for international universities abroad and most of them remain do not come back. The policy-practice gap is huge and support provided by the government in the name of agriculture are also captured by elites and political influencers. This has created a perverse incentive to the young who want to start their own agri enterprises. But there are also some silver lines as well. Some young people who went abroad for employment come back with skills to use new technologies and management ability to run agri enterprises, especially in the urban and peri-urban areas. It may require a big shift in thinking and support from the government side and involve young entrepreneurs who can bring new innovation that helps to transform from subsistence farming to a profitable enterprise that can ensure their livelihoods. 

Best regards,

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Ram Chandra Khanal, PhD

Ex-President - Community of Evaluators - Nepal, BoDs - Nepal Krishi (agri) and board member SEF

Kathmandu, Nepal