 Nepal is a landlocked nation located in South Asia between India and the Tibet

Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu,
which is also the largest metropolitan area, with about 5 million inhabitants. Nepal is divided
into five development regions and fourteen zones. The development regions are Eastern
Region (Purwanchal), Central Region (Madhyamanchal), Western Region (Pashchimanchal),
Mid-Western Region (Madhya Pashchimanchal), and Far-Western Region (Sudur
Pashchimanchal). The fourteen zones of Nepal are Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki,
Janakpur, Karnali, Koshi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, and
Seti

O ZONE MAP OF NEPAL

Conditions of agriculture in 14 zone of Nepal with Diagram

 Mahakali:

Fig no 2: agriculture in far western development region

 Fig: 2 sugarcane farming in mahakali zone

Pros:
1. Lesser Costs, Higher Gains
According to farmers who practice conventional farming, one of its benefits
is the cheaper costs of using this method. Unlike organic farmers who use
compost and animal manure which are expensive to ship, conventional
farmers can use synthetic chemical fertilizers and sewage sludge that are
cheaper. Also, they can also make use of a larger area of land to plant their
crops and thus, can sell higher when the demand is also at its peak

2. More Job Opportunities

Advocates for conventional farming posit that there are several
ways this method opens doors for the working class. Since farmers
 can use larger areas of farmlands, potential farm workers will be given
jobs easily because of the need for more help in the fields. Other job
opportunities include drivers of delivery trucks, laborers and helpers.
3.  Increase of Food Production
Since production costs of conventional farming are low, farmers will
be able to produce more crops and as a result, meet the growing
demand for food supply. With the effects of global warming which
include natural calamities, drought and the like, food production
becomes low.
 Cons :
1.  Presence of Pesticides
One of the drawbacks of conventional farming is the use of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides that are used and sprayed on the
crops. These harmful chemicals can enter the crops and when
animals and human beings eat these crops, they will be exposed to
health risks attributed to the use of these synthetic chemicals.
Concerned groups say that 13 types of chemicals can be present in
conventionally grown crops which children usually eat.
2.  Health and Environmental Hazards
Opponents of the use of the conventional farming claim that this
method introduces pollutants to the environment like the
byproducts that result from the process of manufacturing these
chemicals and fertilizers. As for the case of animals being used for
food production, conventional farming also has an impact on this
because these animals are fed with mass-produced feeds that can
also potentially harm these animals.
Fig : Tea leaves farming in Mechi zone
Nepal is divides into 3 regions Himalayan region, Hilly region and
Terai region. Terai region is located on the bottom part of Nepal. Terai
is usually known as the grain house of Nepal since most the crops that
are sold throughout Nepal are farmed from Terai region. The land area
of Terai region is also very plain i.e. it is most suitable for growing crops
and other food items. The Terai is a region of grasslands, savannas and
forests between the foots of the Hilly region.

 TERAI REGION:

About 80% of paddy is produced in the Terai region. Maize, millet

and potato are basically hill crops. On the other
hand, leading Cash crops which occupy 18% of the total arable
land include sugarcane, jute, tobacco, tea, cotton, cardamom, fruits,
etc. Most of these crops are produced in Terai.
FIG : 3 Paddy plantation in Terai region
 Fig :4 Vegetables Farming in Terai Region

 Pros of agriculture in terai region:

 Weeding operations are more efficiently done either by rotary
weeder or by hand,
 Proper plant spacing makes uniform growth of plants possible and
 Other field management operations, such as spraying and
fertilizer top dressing are made easier.
Disadvantage :
 labour cost is high.
 Spacing varies with season, variety and soil fertility.
 However, spacing between rows and between plants should not
exceed 25 cm.
 Water and air do not penetrate into the soil.
 Roots cannot go deep enough into the soil to take up water and mineral
salts.
 The plants are not well nourished.

 Mountain Region:
Mountain agriculture is the main source of income for many
families, it produces food and preserves rural environments – a
crucial factor not only for those farming the land but also for urban
dwellers who use the mountains for recreational purposes. And on
top of that, rural and mountainous areas have long turned into a
major pillar of local tourism (ecosystem services). 

 Sheep Farming: Sheep farming in Nepal has been practiced since the

beginning of agriculture itself, especially in mountain region. Recently we
started commercial sheep farming in Nepal to produce the meat and wool. There
are some sheep farm in plain region of Nepal too sheep is alternative of goat but
 not very popular like goat. Sheep are full grown at two years common weigh is
about  40 and 75 Kg it can live till eleven or twelve years.

Fig 5: Sheep farming in Mountain Region

Fig :5 Yak livestock farming in Mountain Region

  Pros of Agriculture in Mountain Region:

 Livestock production is closely interrelated with crop production. The use of livestock
and its sub product manure are important in crop production. Livestock is a source of
energy providing draught animal power while manure improves soil structure and
fertility as well as water retention. Both uses are environmentally friendly improving
energy and nutrient cycling. Livestock is also used to transport agricultural inputs and
outputs and people.

 Livestock production is an important mean of exchange between rural households

and, when sold, contributes to boost and strengthen rural markets. Rural markets are
an important piece in the operation mode of rural communities and a significant
contribution for rural families' wellbeing and wealth.

 Livestock has an important contribution for food supply of rural and urban areas and
contributes to the family nutrition, supplying animal protein. As household income
increases, the consumption of protein increases, principally from animal origin,
allowing the substitution of vegetal by animal protein. Besides milk, eggs and meat
used as a source of food, other livestock products are used for domestic consumption
and local sale such as skins, hides and horns.

 Cons of agriculture in Mountain Region:

 13 livestock-related diseases that can affect humans causes up 2.4 billion

cases of human illness [5].

 In an effort to ensure animals do not contract diseases, farmers use antibiotics which
in the long-term lead to the evolution of bacteria and the rise of drug.

 In terms of the environment, it is fairly well-known that livestock sector accounts

for 14.5% of human-induced greenhouse-gas emissions, exceeding that from
transportation [6]. Moreover, animal waste and discards is often not treated
appropriately with farmers often disposing their waste in rivers where they pollute the
water  and threaten the ecosystem’s biodiversity.

 Hilly region agriculture in Nepal:

 Some people live in hilly areas. It is not unusual to find thick forests
growing on the slopes of hills and mountains. Many of these
forests, however, have been cut down. The tea plant grows well on
the slopes of hills where it rains for the most part of the year. The
hilly areas of Illam have ideal conditions for tea gardening.
 Tea gardens are generally very large. In these gardens many
women workers carrying big baskets on their backs. These women
pluck the tealeaves and put them into the basket. When the basket
is full, they carry it to the factory. In the factory, the tealeaves are
sorted out and dried in a special way. Then, they are

 Fig :6 Maize cultivation in hilly region

 packed in boxes and sent out to distant places all over Nepal.
Besides tea, the people in these hilly areas grow rice, sugar cane,
maize and many kinds of vegetables.
FIG :7 Coffee cultivation in hilly region

Fig : Tea cultivation in Hilly region

  Pros of Agriculture in Hilly region:

 The entrepreneurs inject substantial capital to the moribund,

under-developed economy that converts it into a vibrant, dynamic
economy.
 2. Product of the plantation farming is totally dependent on
international market. The slightest price fluctuation in the
international market may jeopardize the system.
 As it is totally export-oriented, the net volume and value of
national export increases, adding valuable foreign exchequer to
the national exchequer.
 It absorbs thousands of labourers, reducing the growing
unemployment problem.
 Plantation farming is a complex mechanism; it involves creation
of not only industrial plants but also construction of civic
amenities like roads, housing projects, schools, colleges, hospitals,
administrative projects etc. Eventually, urbanization rate is
accelerated.

It is not a spontaneous occurrence, rather, it has been developed by

outsiders. So, interest of the local inhabitants are not sustained in the
long run.
(b) It produces only one product—tea, coffee etc. —which is sold in the
external market. So, the local people suffer from food shortages that
might have been cultivated.

(c) Exodus of money in the form of profit goes to foreign lands which
in no way improves the local economy.

(d) In most of the cases cheap labourers are collected from outside and
technical expertise from faraway lands. This system fails to deliver any
good to the local unemployment scenario and aggravates social
tension. Sons of soil clash with outsiders.

 Cons of Agriculture in Hilly region:

(a) It is not a spontaneous occurrence, rather, it has been developed by

outsiders. So, interest of the local inhabitants are not sustained in the
long run.
(b) It produces only one product—tea, coffee etc. —which is sold in the
external market. So, the local people suffer from food shortages that
might have been cultivated.

(c) Exodus of money in the form of profit goes to foreign lands which
in no way improves the local economy.

(d) In most of the cases cheap labourers are collected from outside and
technical expertise from faraway lands. This system fails to deliver any
good to the local unemployment scenario and aggravates social
tension. Sons of soil clash with outsiders.

(e) Planters, to expand their business, try to grab the land of farmers in
several ways. This creates more and more landless, uprooted people.

(f) Due to dependence on international market for the sale of the

product, any price and demand fluctuation may have catastrophic
result in the farming. Local economy may badly suffer following
retrenchment of labour; unemployment may increase.

(g) Plantation farming is not good for ecology. Over-exploitation and

absence of crop-rotation depletes soil fertility and increases soil
erosion.

(h) As most of the owners of plantation estates reside outside the

country—particularly at the initial stage of development—they have
very little interest in the development of the region.

 PROVINANCE OF NEPAL MAP

The Provinces of Nepal were formed on 20 September 2015 in
accordance with Schedule 4 of the Constitution of Nepal. The seven
provinces were formed by grouping the existing districts. The current
system of seven provinces replaced an earlier system where Nepal was
divided into 14 Administrative Zones which were grouped into
five Development Regions.

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