By Dyutiman Choudhary
Nepal imports hundreds of thousands of tons of maize every year to meet the growing demand of its livestock and feed industries. Yet, the country’s fertile Terai region has enormous, untapped potential to produce high-quality maize, increase rural incomes, and strengthen national food and feed security. The challenge has never been about production alone—it has been about creating a system where farmers, markets, financial institutions, governments, and private businesses work together.
The Scaling for Impact Science Program demonstrates that when these actors are connected through market-led partnerships, smallholder farmers can transition from subsistence production to profitable commercial agriculture.
Disseminating Research Recommendations
The project developed a Spring Maize Best Management Practices (BMP) Technical Bulletin, with several years of maize trial data from CIMMYT and Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC). The bulletin was reviewed and endorsed by NARC and co-designed with the Government of Nepal. The technical guidance was widely disseminated through local governments, cooperatives, websites, WhatsApp groups, and social media platforms, reaching approximately 150,000 people.
Knowledge was further strengthened through district-level Training of Trainers (ToT) programs on using BMPs, where 225 cooperative leaders, traders, and local government officials were trained across six districts, creating a network of local experts capable of supporting thousands of maize farmers.
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