Pesticide Impact for Swiss Contact

Client: Swiss Contact/NAMDP

Year: 2018

Overview

Nepal Agricultural Market Development Programme (NAMDP) Phase 1 is a bilateral initiative between the Government of Switzerland and the Government of Nepal. This program aims to improve the livelihoods of rural smallholders, especially disadvantaged groups and women-headed households, by encouraging their participation in commercial agriculture and interconnected markets. 

While pests have always been a problem for agriculture, farmers are yet to properly understand the benefit of using Crop Protection Inputs (CPI). Farmers still lack essential knowledge on how CPIs can combat pests and diseases that can reduce their loss in crop production, boost up their farm productivity, and eventually lead to increased income. Even farmers who use CPIs face considerable loss due to incorrect application or application through trial and error. Problems like limited knowledge on the usage and dosage of CPI, accessibility problems from DADO and Argo Vets to reach farmers, and information gaps for the demands of CPI products are persistent. Due to a lack of information and products, the farmers cannot protect their crops against seasonal pests and diseases. Alternative practice of environmentally friendly IPM solution is comparatively a new concept with limited availability of such products and technologies. 

Rooster Logic and Swiss Contact partnered on this assignment to conduct a sector survey to acquire selective quantitative information from farmers on crop protection. Generic information collection on vegetable, goat, maize, and post-harvest practices was also a part of the survey. 

Methodology

Rooster Logic provided specialized services of Sukarmi, REMO, supervisors, expert opinions, and data management. We developed the tools for questionnaires on farmer surveys and conducted data collection in close consultation with NAMDP. The sample size was distributed among 12 districts in two clusters - Hilly Cluster and Terai and Inner Terai. The Hilly cluster included Dailekh, Palpa, Makawanpur, Ilam,  Okhaldhunga, and Tanahun. Terai and Inner Terai cluster included Sunsari, Chitwan,  Surkhet, Kapilvastu, Sarlahi,  and Kailali.  

The sample size for the quantitative survey was around 800, and the findings needed to be statistically valid at clusters and project levels. 6 lead enumerators and 24 enumerators worked on the quantitative assessment of the crop protection sector survey. An additional 18 enumerators worked on the usage survey of farmers for vegetable interventions. We also translated and digitized three sets of questionnaires for vegetable surveys and submitted an analysis report at the end. 

Rooster Logic was able to utilize the human network of Sukarmi for a smooth data collection process. The survey dealt with sensitive issues related to farmers and pesticides and the effect on consumers. Through proper coordination among multiple teams, experts, and supervisors, we framed the survey balancing the sensitive nature of data collection for this assignment.