How is the pesticide use in Nepal’s farm

According to the recently released National Sample Census of Agriculture 2021/22, 47.9% of farm holdings grow vegetables.

Out of the total holdings growing vegetables, 26.7% use pesticides.

Out of those using pesticides, 53.2% use slightly toxic pesticides while 33.2% use moderately toxic pesticides.

Meanwhile, 12% of the vegetable growers use highly toxic pesticides, and 0.7% use extremely toxic pesticides, says the census.

Similarly, 45% of holdings utilised pesticides for their paddy crops, followed by potato (36%), vegetables (27%), wheat (28%) and maize (23%).

According to the census, there are a total of 4.13 million farm holdings in Nepal (with and without their own farm) who farm a total of some 2.21 million hectares of land.

A farm holding is a single unit, which could be a natural person, group of natural persons, or legal person, which undertakes agriculture activities.

We will publish a highlight of this census next week. Stay tuned!