CIRDAP was honored to welcome Dr. Ravi Khetarpal, Executive Secretary of the Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), to CIRDAP headquarters today, February 10, 2025. After an insightful meeting with the Director General of CIRDAP HE Dr.P.Chandra Shekara,Dr. Khetarpal toured the CIRDAP office complex, including the CIRDAP International Conference Centre (CICC) and auditorium. He also took part in the ongoing World Rural Development Day (WRDD) signature campaign, showing his strong support for this important initiative. CIRDAP staff had the opportunity to engage in a productive discussion with Dr. Khetarpal, exploring shared objectives and potential collaborations between CIRDAP and APAARI. The visit concluded with a seedling planting segment, symbolizing our commitment to sustainable development.

CIRDAP is going to organize its next webinar titled ‘why do Organized and Unorganized Marketing Channels Co-exist? A Case of Milk Marketing in Nepal’ on February 12, 2025. The honorable speaker is Binoy Goswami, PhD Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, South Asian University, Maidan Garhi, and New Delhi, India. Abstract Marketing channels ensure that agricultural produces reach their target consumers, fetch fair prices, and contribute to the overall profitability of farming enterprises. Particularly for perishable goods like fruits, vegetables, milk, and so on, marketing channels are essential. This paper examinesthe dynamics of milk marketing channels in Nepal through a case study of 103 milk-producing farmers in Lalitpur district. The findings reveal that larger milk producers predominantly prefer organized marketing channels, such as milk collection centers operated by cooperatives or the private sector, whereas smaller producers utilize both organized and unorganized channels, including direct sales to households and businesses. An analysis of the factors influencing the choice of marketing channel highlights that pecuniary transaction costs are minimal for producers. However, unorganized channels involve significant non-pecuniary transaction costs such as, challenges in transporting milk to points of sale and handling fluctuations in milk production. On the other hand, fat-based pricing system in the organized channels discourages farmers from choosing these channels. Both exploratory and regression analyses validate these results. The study explains the coexistence of organized and unorganized channels in terms of the distinct advantages that each type of channel offers. Furthermore, it identifies several socio-economic factors that shape producers’ choices of marketing channels. The paper contributes to theunderstanding of the dynamics of milk marketing, and provides valuable implications for policy and practice in Nepal’s dairy sector. To attend the webinar, click here for the zoom link:https://zoom.us/j/95124674993?pwd=GlmaMO7gMgJpQpIAWbihvsbOD87Sjh.1Meeting ID: 951 2467 4993Passcode: 656793

Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) has launched a dedicated social media campaign in celebration of World Rural Development Day highlighting the significance of rural development across the globe. The campaign will showcase successful rural development initiatives, promote inclusive policies, and engage the global community in advocating for rural prosperity. The campaign, launched in the beginning with New Year’s celebrations, seeks to raise awareness about the importance of rural development across the world. It focuses on the transformative potential of rural areas in driving sustainable growth and improving the quality of life for millions.Dedicated website for the event https://worldruraldevelopmentday.org/ has been activated.10

CIRDAP celebrated the New Year in a vibrant manner, hosting a special program at the scenic Chameli House Garden. The event was inaugurated by the Honorable Director General, HE Dr. P.Chandra Shekara, who delivered an insightful speech and symbolically cut the cake to mark the occasion. Throughout the program, all CIRDAP staff members expressed their personal commitment to strengthening the organization. The campaign, launched in the beginning with New Year’s celebrations, seeks to raise awareness about the importance of rural development across the world. It focuses on the transformative potential of rural areas in driving sustainable growth and improving the quality of life for millions.Dedicated website for the event https://worldruraldevelopmentday.org/ has been activated.

The Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) and Nepal Farmers Advisory Council (NFAC) Pvt. Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on December 8, 2024, to collaborate on advancing agribusiness and rural development initiatives in Nepal. The MoU was formalized by HE Dr. P. Chandra Shekara, Director General of CIRDAP, and Dr. Yogendra Kumar Karki, Chairman of NFAC. This partnership aims to enhance technical support, capacity building, and the implementation of climate-smart agricultural practices. Under the agreement, CIRDAP will facilitate international knowledge exchange and exposure for Nepalese agricultural stakeholders, focusing on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and e-agriculture. Meanwhile, NFAC will collaborate with various levels of government in Nepal to ensure the effective rollout of projects. This five-year collaboration is expected to improve the livelihoods of marginalized farmers in Nepal, particularly by introducing innovative rural development models and ensuring integration with local government initiatives.

CIRDAP organized a webinar titled “International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics: Five Decades of Excellence in Alleviating Poverty in South Asia” on December 5, 2024. The honorable speaker was Dr. Sreenath Dixit, Principal Scientist and Strategic Advisor, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Telangana, India. The webinar marked the Institute’s 50 years of pioneering agricultural research, focusing on improving dry land farming and agri-food systems in the semi-arid tropics. The speaker emphasized the need of ensuring food security, boosting nutrition, and supporting environmental sustainability in dry land regions. Dr. Dixit also talked about how ICRISAT transform ancient water system knowledge – “Reviving traditional rainwater harvesting systems: Haveli cultivation” – into modern day technology and innovation. For more please see the attached presentation: ICRISAT, a leading international scientific organization, has focused on resilient, climate-smart, and nutritious legumes and cereal crops, utilizing value web and value chain approaches. The institute’s vision is to create a prosperous, food-secure, and resilient dryland tropics, aiming to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and environmental degradation Click here to see the Presentation

The Programme “Micro Enterprises for Rejuvenation of Rural Economy: Policies, Programmes & Learnings” aims to empower stakeholders with knowledge, strategies, and best practices to foster the development of micro-enterprises as a catalyst for sustainable rural economic growth. By leveraging collaborative learning and policy insights, the Programme seeks to address challenges, promote innovation, and strengthen the resilience of rural economies across CIRDAP member countries and beyond. The Programme also tries to address digital advances, startups, entrepreneurship, development Programme engaging micro enterprises. The Programme also ensures “Back AT Work Plan” to all participating executives. Relevant Documents  Brochure: Click Here  Application-Form: Download