Only 18% of the land area in Nepal is used for agriculture, resulting in an average farm size of about 0.8 hectare. Farmers have developed intensified farming systems with integrated crop, livestock and forest management to make a living out of the limited farm area. Farmers need to adapt to changing circumstances such as increased population density and pressure on land, reduced free grazing and fodder access under community forestry, increased access to input and output markets.

SUSTAINABLE SOIL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (SSM-P)

Implemented in collaboration with Intercooperation The Sustainable Soil Management Programme (SSMP) contributes to improve soil fertility and productivity in bari-dominated farming systems in the mid hills of Nepal for increased food production, food security and farm income. It supports technical change as well as social processes which lead to livelihood improvement in rural area. Under its approach, the programme focuses on disadvantaged groups, provides capacity building at local level and fosters participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation. Special activities target the ultra-poor population in the selected areas.

OUTCOMES

• Adoption of sustainable soil management practices which are derived from indigenous or new technologies achieving a higher food production and/or income from bari-dominated farming systems.

• Improvement in soil fertility in bari-dominated farming systems through the use of SSM practices.

• Farmers take a lead in the testing and wider diffusion of SSM-practices through farmer-led experimentation and farmer-to-farmer diffusion.

• Capacity building of grassroots institutions and farmer groups to tackle the implications of new SSM practices within the context of the overall farming system.

• Synergy between governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
  
  PRESENT STATUS

• More than 70 Collaborating Institutions (CIs) in 12 districts promote SSM with financial and technical support by SSMP; grants are awarded under a competitive grant system.

• About 2,800 leader farmers (58% women) and 28,420 group farmers (60% women) participate in the SSM promotion (e.g., improved manure management, urine as liquid fertilizer, bio-pesticide, legume integration into farms, fodder promotion for livestock, vegetables and cash crops under SSM, and farmer field schools on integrated plant nutrient management).

• A low cost farmer-to-farmer extension system has been introduced at local level whereby Experienced Leader Farmers provide technical advises to demanding farmer groups; this demand-led local extension reaches more than 12,000 farmers per year (more that 60,000 farmers in 5 years). Farm monitoring data indicate increased organic matter content, increased soil nitrogen and phosphorous after three years of SSM practice.

PARTNERSHIP

Financial support is provided to CIs under a national competitive system.

• 70 CIs (GOs and NGOs) working with more than 1,420 farmer groups in 12 districts

• Soil Management Directorate, Department of Agriculture; Nepal Agricultural Research Council; National Agricultural Research and Development Fund

FUNDING

About CHF 1,400,000 per year by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). CI contributes about 30-40% of the cost through their time and local resource investment.

CONTACT DETAILS                                                                                                         

SSMP
Bakhundole, Lalitpur, Nepal
Phone: 977 1 5543591
E-Mail: ssmp@helvetas.org.np