Title : Policy provisions, status and gaps for registration and maintenance of farmers’ varieties in Nepal
Abstract:
In Nepal, there are three main types of seed systems: formal, informal, and non-formal. However, about 95% of farm households in the Nepal Himalayas rely on informal sources for their seed requirements, using their own locally adapted seeds or obtaining seeds from neighbors and relatives. Farmers' own saved seeds are the primary source of seeds, with exchange of germplasm being another means of fulfilling their seed requirements. The three main crop varieties adopted in Nepal are formal varieties, Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) varieties, and farmers' varieties, which are traditionally cultivated and evolved by farmers in their fields. These farmers' varieties are genetically and phenotypically diverse, adapted to local environmental conditions, and associated with traditional farming systems. In 1997, Nepal formulated seed regulations which was revised in 2013, with four provisions for the release and registration of crop varieties. Since then, 19 farmers' varieties have been registered in the national catalogue, with 16 varieties registered under Schedule D, a farmer-friendly format for varietal registration application. Despite this progress, there are still policy gaps and challenges that need to be addressed to promote the registration and maintenance of farmers' varieties. Clear guidelines and a coordinated approach involving collaboration between farmers, government agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders are necessary to support the conservation of crop genetic diversity, improve food security and livelihoods, and enhance the resilience of farming systems to climate change and other challenges.
Keywords: Guidelines, Non-formal, Resilience, Schedule, Traditional
