Nauni University Organises 10-Day Farming Training Programme for Nepal Delegation

As part of ongoing collaborative initiatives between the Ministries of External Affairs of India and Nepal, a 30-member delegation of Agriculture Department officers from Nepal is visiting Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni.

The delegation, drawn from Karnali, Lumbini, Sudurpashchim and Gandaki provinces, is participating in a 10-day international training programme titled “Capacity Building of Public and Private Stakeholders for Organic Highland Apple and Walnut Farming in the Karnali Region of Nepal”.

The programme is being supported by the Ministry of External Affairs, Northern Division (Nepal Section), New Delhi, in collaboration with the federal and provincial Ministries of Agriculture of the Government of Nepal. The Ministry of External Affairs has selected UHF, Nauni to contribute to skill development of Nepalese agriculture officials and farmers, with a special focus on organic cultivation of apple, walnut and kiwi.

Addressing the inaugural session on Monday, Director of Extension Education Dr Inder Dev highlighted the long-standing and multifaceted cooperation between India and Nepal, emphasising the cultural, social and geographical similarities between the hill regions of Nepal and Himachal Pradesh. He also spoke about Himachal’s progress in natural and organic farming practices.

Registrar Sidharth Acharya said the selection of UHF, Nauni by the Government of India to showcase its technologies reflected the university’s growing national and international standing. He attributed Himachal Pradesh’s success in horticulture to scientific farming methods and the commitment of farmers, urging participants to actively engage with experts during the programme.

Prem Bahadur Oli, team leader and Agriculture Extension Officer from Nepal, presented an overview of Nepal’s agriculture and horticulture sector. He said the agro-climatic similarities between Nepal and India’s hill states made the technologies being demonstrated during the training highly relevant. He added that several farming practices from Himachal Pradesh had already been adopted in Nepal through knowledge gained by Nepalese workers employed in Himachal’s apple orchards.

Earlier, Joint Director (Training) Dr Anil Handa welcomed the delegation and informed that this was the second batch of trainees from Nepal under the collaboration, which aims to train around 300 participants in total. He said the programme would focus on hands-on training in apple, walnut and kiwi cultivation.

The training schedule includes visits to nurseries for modern propagation techniques, orchard-based sessions on pruning and canopy management, irrigation and water management in high-density plantations, post-harvest handling, and management of major pests. Participants will also visit research stations and farmers’ fields to gain practical exposure to organic and natural farming practices and bio-control measures.

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