Food Self-sufficiency and Underutilized Crops in Mid-Hills, Nepal: A Case Study of Hastichaur VDC, Gulmi District.

Abstract

Food security has been the global issues. Realizing the importance of food self sufficiency and underutilized crops in achieving the household food security, the study of household food self-sufficiency and underutilized crops situation in Hastichaur Village Development Committee (VDC) of mid hill region was done. The majority of the population of study area depends on agriculture for their livelihoods. And most of them have less land holding size. Local varieties such as millet, barley, buckwheat, amaranth and sorghum etc. were once important cereals in the rural areas of hills and mountain in Nepal. These crops have high nutritional values and can grow on marginal land with low agricultural inputs. Today, these crops are grown in limited scale considering ‘poor people’s food’ and are being replaced by imported food and grains. The study shows that, of total cereal production in the study area, the percentage occupied by underutilized crops as millet and barley was high in comparison to national and district percentage. The production of buckwheat, amaranth and sorghum was very limited, just for their own use only. The food sufficiency situation was found poor in the study area. The food self-sufficiency by direct interview shows majority of the respondents (43.66%) has food up to 6 months only and on the basis of average calorie demand and available calorie the food self-sufficiency was 5.65 months. The main reason for this food self-insufficiency was low landholding (p<0.001), large family size (p<0.001), occupation (p<0.001) and less use and production of local crops (p=0.005). These are further supported by lack of irrigation and advanced agricultural technology, low production, lack of manpower, difficult to harvest local crops, change in food preference and farmer’s interest towards other cash and commercial food crops. The food deficit was maintained by buying in market, engaging in off farm activities, borrowing and so on. Millet was produced in large amount but most of the production was used for the preparation of local alcohol and fodder for animal. Increasing production and adding value to these underutilized crops can enhance the household food self-sufficiency and livelihood of marginal people.