Authors:
Dol Raj Luitel, Mohan Siwakoti, Pramod Kumar Jha, Ajay Kumar Jha,
Nir Krakauer |
Abstract:
Agriculture is main profession of 65% population in Nepal. The main component of agriculture
is cereal crops which include paddy, wheat, maize, finger-millet, buckwheat, barley, naked
barley, Proso millet and Foxtail millet. Finger millet is cultivated in all 75 districts from 85m to
3130m asl especially in marginal land of hills and high mountains. Gandaki, Bagmati,
Sagarmatha and Lumbini zones have maximum area of finger millet cultivation. In Nepal, finger
millet is cultivated in 271183 hectors of land and produced 304104 metric ton with average yield
of 1.121t/ha in 2014.The production of finger millet was insufficient and the country imported
1311t annually. The cultivation area and production analysis of finger millet from 1990 to 2014
show that there is not significant increase in production. Finger millet-Fallow-Fallow, Finger
millet-Barley-Fallow are common cropping pattern in high hills; Maize-Finger millet-Fallow,
Maize/Mustard-Fallow in mid-hills is main cropping pattern and generally grow in marginal land
having low productivity as mono-crop in Terai. There are 33 local landraces of finger millet and
Okhale-1 which is cultivated in several districts is only recommended variety. Seventy eight
percentage of total finger millet produce is utilized to prepare liquor/alcohol and remaining is
used to make porridge, breads, sweet. |
