Prospects for farm mechanization in mid-hills of Nepal: Stakeholder experiences and vision

In addition to modern seeds, fertilizers and cultural practices, farming has been revolutionized and modernized through mechanization by making farming less labour-intensive, Since the first invention of seed drill in seventeenth century – with controlled spacing and depth, which increased yields and reduced seed loses -machines are increasingly used instead of humans, However, in most parts of developing world, farmers still rely on manual operations. Most cited limitations include suitability, useability and cost. In Nepal, a review by Takeshima and Justice (2020) traces the use of 4 and 2-wheel tractors in lowland regions to 1970s, quadrupling by 1990s, and tripling by 2000s. Since then, there has been exponential but insignificant growth in machinery usage restricted to larger lowlands farms. A decade ago, mini-tillers designed for small farms were introduced and recorded a 10-fold increase between 2005 and 2016 (Takeshima & Justice, 2020). To spur modernization and commercialization of the agricultural sector, the government of Nepal has set policy goals and developed strategies including Nepal’s Agriculture Mechanization Policy (2014) and Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS, 2015-2035) that promote use of scale-appropriate mechanization technologies. The government and stakeholders are increasingly investing in mini tillers (2-wheel hand tractors) that are appropriate for the hill zone as well as labour-saving low energy implements and mechanized irrigation that expand the mechanization frontier to the mountain zone (Takeshima et al., 2016). Despite these ambitions and progress, the practical implementation of mechanization policies remains inconsistent, particularly in the mid-hills, where small and irregular terraces make the use of conventional machinery difficult. Tailoring machinery to landscapes and socio-economic profiles is therefore essential to fit varied topography, feminization of labour, and diversity of cropping systems, which have been limiting (Devkota et al., 2020). This research note explores the current state of farm mechanization in the midhills of Nepal, examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of existing mechanization support programs while identifying key policy and practical recommendations for future interventions. By doing so, this research contributes to aligning policy with local needs, scoping capacity gaps, and identify inclusive machinery services that are accessible to smallholder farmers, including women, youth and marginalized groups.