Policy measures in favour of farmers

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, April,1: The newly formed government has unveiled a series of major policy measures aimed at protecting farmers, improving agricultural markets, and addressing long-standing land management issues across the country.

Under the “100-Point Governance Reform Action Plan” recently announced by the government, the process of determining the minimum support price for major food crops will begin within 30 days.

The initiative aims to address the problem of farmers incurring losses due to uncontrolled market fluctuations and the lack of minimum price protection for key agricultural produce.

A new directive will be issued immediately to regulate credit-based transactions in the purchase of agricultural products.

According to the provision, payments must be made within a maximum of 25 days. If buyers fail to pay within this period, they will be required to pay the amount along with interest.

To improve market transparency, the government will launch a National Agricultural Market Information System. This system will provide farmers with daily price updates through SMS and other digital platforms, helping them make informed selling decisions.

In addition, local governments will be supported to organise weekly agricultural markets (haat bazaars) in every municipality, making it easier for farmers to sell their produce directly.

The government has proposed the “One Municipality, One Cold Storage Centre” programme to address storage and marketing challenges.

A feasibility study for establishing cold storage facilities in each district under a public-private partnership model will be completed within 10 days.

The government also plans to distribute soil health cards to farmers operating commercial farms within three months, helping them improve productivity through better soil management.

Under the land reform, a nationwide effort will be undertaken to address the issues of landless squatters and unmanaged settlements.

The government plans to complete the collection and verification of integrated digital data on landless squatters and unorganised settlers within 60 days.

The government's action plan includes conducting a household survey in coordination with the local level to resolve the problem of landless squatters and unorganised settlements within 1,000 days, and implementing clear criteria (cut-off date, income level, other property ownership) for identifying real beneficiaries.

According to the programmes, land records, including public, unregistered, and trust (guthi) lands, will be updated and digitised using GIS-based systems. Verified landless households will either receive land in phases or be rehabilitated through integrated housing projects, particularly in densely populated urban areas.

A public dashboard will be introduced to ensure transparency in land distribution and rehabilitation.

In addition, the government has committed to strengthening the protection of public land by creating digital records, enhancing monitoring systems, and launching immediate action against encroachment.