Bringing Nepal’s Farmers to Market #ClearsHerPath for Growth, Jobs, and Prosperity

Across Nepal, women are experiencing a quiet shift from subsistence farming to earning income. The collective strength of agricultural cooperatives, grants to purchase new equipment and technologies, and better connections to markets are fueling this transformation.The result is an empowered woman farmer taking charge of her life and livelihood, even creating jobs for her community.

Like Anjali Devi Yadav in Madhesh province, who transitioned from a life plagued with debt after her husband emigrated to the UAE, to becoming a successful farmer-entrepreneur. Teaming up with other farmers, A grant from the World Bank's Rural Enterprise and Economic Development (REED) project provided Anjali with seeds, sprayers, farm tools, and other resources, along with training in modern farming techniques.

REED aims to support Nepal's rural agribusinesses in connecting to markets and developing a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, aligned with Nepal's Agriculture Development Strategy.

Today, Anjali delivers fresh produce to the local market and has even arranged for her husband's return to help her in the fields, where he earns more than he did in Dubai. With the support of her cooperative, Anjali and her colleagues are connected with wholesale buyers who ensure fair prices and steady demand for their produce. The 2024 season was a breakthrough-Anjali sold 9.8 tons of vegetables, including cowpeas, beans, cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes, earning a record Rs. 392,000- up from her earlier seasonal earnings of Rs 120,000 from around 4 tons of vegetables.

Buffalo farmers in Madichour Rolpa like Anisha Pun and Tirpani Baijali are also earning more, thanks to improved market access. "Previously, the milk we produced didn't find a market. Now we take the milk to the dairy," explained Anisha. "The money generated from milk production and sales is making it easier to run the household," adds Tirpani. REED also provides other support to boost milk production, including grants that enabled the farmers to buy Murrah buffaloes that produce five to six liters of milk, and guidance on rearing buffalo so that they are more productive.

In Nepal's Panchthar district, fifteen indigenous women from the Ngingma Chyanghthapu Chhyoling Women Farmers Group took a bold step toward financial independence. Eager to move away from remittances sent by their migrant husbands, the Ngingma women started bee farming. With REED's support, they purchased 38 modern beehives, protective gear, and essential tools, and used a matching grant to hire two technicians. Today, empowered by increased market awareness due to a deal with a local buyer, the Ngingma women are ready to create a buzz with their newly branded "Himalayan Herbal Honey" made from nectar collected from medicinal plants like chiretta and wild chestnut.

These success stories are encouraging news in Nepal, where women make up more than half of the country's farmers but still have limited access to resources and mostly engage in subsistence farming. Strengthening rural agroenterprises in high-potential value chains and establishing market links between women farmers and buyers unlock opportunities for women to drive economic growth.

"Farmers have always produced, but thinking about the system or the value chain was not at the top of mind," explains Maha Ahmed, who leads the REED team. "When you bring the market into it, that brings success to business ventures."

This partnership benefits buyers too: they gain a reliable supply of products and are thus protected from significant losses. Additionally, buyers enjoy lower transaction costs, reduced collection and aggregation expenses, and easier negotiations with intermediaries.

Goat Knowledge? Knowledge powers Financial Independence
Knowledge is powerful, especially when aimed at public good. Shanti Khadayat, an experienced goat farmer and chair of the Balanch Mahila Krishi Sahakari Sanstha, a women's agricultural cooperative in Sudurpashchim Province, noticed that goat rearing in her village was stagnating, mainly because of the low yield of indigenous breeds.

Shanti introduced expensive, high-quality Boer goats into her herd, with a matching grant from REED. "It was a game changer," Shanti explains. Not only does Boer goat meat command a higher market price, but Shanthi's goats have already given birth to three healthy kids. Shanti has also taught her peers better animal husbandry, leading to healthier livestock. "Our goats are healthier, our farms are greener, and for the first time, we're thinking long-term," she explains.

Similarly, Urmila Ghale, a trained veterinarian, is also sharing her knowledge in Sudurpashchim Province. Urmila, along with 18 members of the women's cooperative Siddhartha Mahila Krishi Samuha, received training on improving animal sheds with better drainage. "This might seem like a small change, but it has made a big difference - not just iWith improved farming techniques and more space for their livestock, the women invested Rs. 189,000 in Murrah buffaloes with a matching grant from REED and expect a significant increase in daily dairy output.189,000 in Murrah buffaloes with a matching grant from REED and expect a significant increase in daily dairy output. Now, the cooperative plans to sell their products, including milk and organic compost, in the Indian market, where they can command higher prices.

Clearing the Path for Women Farmers to Thrive
Over the past four years, REED has mobilized more than $12.5 million in capital for farmers and has generated over 12,000 jobs, benefiting more than 8,700 farmers across 171 municipalities and six provinces in rural Nepal. Of the approximately 300 productive partnerships fostered by REED, 108 are women led and of REED's 8738 beneficiaries, approximately 48 percent are women.

So, what explains this acceptance, considering the project requires a substantial fifty percent upfront investment from farmers? Maha Ahmed explains, "It is comforting for rural farmers to realize they have a market, and that they will receive the technical knowledge and training from experts who will support them. That warms up a risk-averse appetite."

Market guarantees motivated Santoshi, part of a women-led producer organization, and the other women of Rana Samaj to start commercial vegetable farming. "We are fortunate that our buyers always match the prevailing market rates," Santoshi explains. Today, the women have not only doubled their initial investment but also achieved a 100% profit. "In cabbage alone, I earned Rs. 30,000 in a single season," says Kalpana, a group member. "With income from cash crops, we are financially independent... and no longer need to rely on our husbands even for buying school supplies for our children."

As the REED project approaches its fifth anniversary, it has established 74 well-equipped Municipal Agricultural Livestock Service Centers (MALSCs) for local governments in Nepal.These centers-equipped with advanced diagnostic tools and laboratory facilities-function as hubs for mentoring, incubation, and technical support, covering everything from disease control to livestock management.
Women constitute the majority of Nepal's agricultural workforce, yet only around 32 percent own farmland. However, the government of Nepal aims to increase this number to 50% by 2035. With the right market tools, knowledge, and incentives like those received by the protagonists above, women farmers across Nepal can leverage collective effort to meet market demands and become successful producers and entrepreneurs.