The pig sector in Nepal is widespread and mainly characterized by small-scale, mixed farms. Pig farming is dominated by small household (HH) production units of 1-2 pigs, which accounted for 86% (464,200 HH) of all households raising pigs in 2011. Production is typically low-input low-output, using unimproved breeds. The most common sources of pig feed are food industry by-products, kitchen waste, and grain by-products. Pigs therefore serve to convert limited waste and by-products of low value into high value food for consumption or/and sale.
Samarth-NMDP is committed to sharing its best practices and lessons learned. In this section, you will find our most recent updates from the field, various case studies, research as well as more technical documents related to our programme.
Study Tour to New Zealand
In order to catalyse it’s initiatives, Samarth aimed to sensitize the decision makers from the government and other important stakeholders of the industry about trail management and planning through practical exposure to an international destination has addressed every aspect of trails and greenways.

As part of Samarth-NMDP’s ongoing ‘Enhancing Quality Standard of Raw Milk’ intervention in the dairy sector, it is currently working with dairy stakeholders such as dairy associations, dairy cooperatives and its chilling centers, and the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) to improve the quality of raw milk. Four ToTs were organized to train 90 nominees from milk collection/chilling centres in May 2016 in the selected GMP pilot sites. Click the button below to read more:


Samarth-NMDP has partnered with the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), and the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council (KCAMC). Under these partnerships, activities such as trail maintenance, capacity building and awareness trainings, construction of trail bridges and porter shelters, and installation of information boards and directional signage will be carried out. Ownership of infrastructure facilities will rest with the relevant District Development Committees (DDCs) and Village Development Committees (VDCs).

This case study explores the crowding-in of the small and micro slaughterhouse intervention in the pig sector.


In the fish sector, lack of access to quality seeds - hatchling, fry and fingerlings - has been one of the major problems for farmers across the country. Every season, smallholder farmers struggle to acquire timely and necessary quantity of seeds. This reduces the harvest period by up to a month which results in fish that are smaller in size at the end of harvest fetching lower price.

The aim of Samarth’s Crop Protection Inputs (CPI) sector is to ensure that smallholder farmers have affordable access to information on crop protection inputs and are able to make informed decisions on their purchase and use, in order to enhance their productivity.

In order to strengthen the after sales services of agri-machineries, Samarth-NMDP is currently working with Department of Agriculture Engineering (DOAEng) and private sector partners to build the capacity of motorcycle and pump-set mechanics to expand into repair and maintenance of agri-machineries. The first phase of the ten-day training was held from May 10th to 19th where 20 mechanics from 20 different districts from all across the nation were trained on the premises of DoAEng in Kathmandu.


Marketing strategies adopted by importers of mini-tillers have, so far, not been able to reach out to the farmers of the hills in reducing their skepticism, informing the benefits of mini-tillers and making mini-tillers and repair services accessible. Samarth-NMDP has therefore, partnered with one of the importers of mini-tillers, based on their willingness and capacity, to pilot the business advisory services such as farmer-focused service provision, improved investment in after-sales and repairs, and collaboration with local government and extension officers for social marketing.

Cultivating the land is an arduous, physical task, especially on the steep terraces of the mid-hills. Over 40% of farmers have access to draught animal power (mainly oxen and buffalo) via around 250,000 owners. Among draught oxen and buffalo owning families, women are usually tasked with gathering forage and caring for these animals – spending around an hour a day in doing so.
Samarth-NMDP’s mechanization component began in June 2013 and decided, based on initial market analysis, to focus primarily on facilitating the development of the mini-tiller market in the mid-hills. This is where the deficit in labour is being most acutely felt, and where the mechanization market is least developed.

Lack of effective information is a critical constraint to all businesses, particularly to smallholder farmers and rural micro enterprises that operate in information-poor environments where many information channels are ineffective, inaccessible or unaffordable.

Samarth-NMDP had conducted the first ever frozen semen artificial insemination training for grandparent seed stock (GPS) farms that maintain pure breed of pigs on June, 2014 by importing exotic and superior breeds like Berkshire, Duroc, Large Black and Hampshire from Swine Genetic International, USA. The aim was to address the problem of excessive in-breeding, leading to low quality pigs throughout Nepal. Five GPS farms - government and private - have already started frozen semen AI.

An insight into the work Samarth-NMDP has done to improve productivity and marketing of the dairy sector through the diversification of milk products and creation of consumer-market linkages.

Put yourself in the position of an advertiser or communicator working in Nepal. You have a fixed budget and you need to reach as many of Nepal’s 31 million people as possible – of which over 80% live outside the main cities. How can you maximise your reach in the most cost effective way?
17 January 2018, Gorkha – Two cantilever pathways were formally handed over to local government representatives of Dharche and Tsum Numbri municipalities of northern Gorkha at a handover programme organised at the district coordination council office today by Samarth-Nepal Market Development Programme. The cantilever pathways not only provide safe access to the locals living in northern Gorkha, but has also enhanced two of Nepal’s popular trekking trails Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley Trail.

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