CABI News

CABI and the Government of Nepal have taken a significant step towards sustainably strengthening the country’s plant health system threatened by pests and diseases by agreeing to collaborate more through the PlantwisePlus programme.

Pests of concern include brown plant hopper, bacterial leaf blight and rice blast on rice, fall armyworm and stalk rot of maize, thrips in chilli, tomato pinworm, potato tuber moth, late blight, fusarium wilt, mosaic virus, anthracnose on vegetables, citrus greening and fruit sucking moth in citrus.

A partnership agreement has been signed that will see both parties implementing PlantwisePlus activities together with Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre (PQPMC), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD).

Dr Vinod Pandit, Regional Director, South Asia, CABI, and Mr Bhoj Raj Sapkota, Chief, PQPMC, signed the agreement with senior officials from the Government of Nepal, including Dr Dipak Kumar Kharal, Secretary, MoALD, Dr Hari Bahadur, K.C., Joint Secretary, MoALD, and other senior officials from the Ministry and PQPMC.

Partnership comes at a crucial time

Dr Dipak Kumar Kharal, MoALD, emphasized the partnership comes at a crucial time when the country urgently needs interventions aimed at tackling the impacts of climate change, particularly those related to insect pests and diseases that threaten Nepal’s plant health system.

“This collaboration marks a promising step towards safeguarding food security and promoting sustainable farming for the future of Nepal,” he said.

There are 60 plant clinics in Nepal and CABI and partners have trained 300 extension officials as plant doctors. Smallholder farmers take their crops to a clinic for diagnosis of plant health issues where advice is then given to remedy them.

Sustainable and resilient agriculture practices

MoALD officials extended their support to both CABI and PQPMC to go beyond the PlantwisePlus activities, ensuring sustainable and resilient agriculture practices in the face of increasing environmental challenges.

During the signing ceremony, the Chief, PQPMC and Secretary, MoALD, Government of Nepal, expressed their deep appreciation for CABI’s continued support in strengthening the country’s plant health framework.

They highlighted the importance of addressing critical areas such as pest preparedness, invasive species, pest risk, market access, pesticide risk reduction, safe food production, biodiversity conservation, climate change, and sustainable agriculture to safeguard Nepal’s plant health system.

PlantwisePlus sought to promote the use of CABI digital tools in Nepal
In July 2025, PlantwisePlus sought to promote the use of CABI digital tools in Nepal where it was noticed that many smallholder farmers, particularly women, lacked the digital skills needed to access and use information on smartphones.

For many, this was the first structured opportunity to interact with smartphones beyond basic use, and to experience tools designed specifically for agricultural learning and support.

After learning the basics of smartphones, the trainees then went onto explore tools including the PlantwisePlus Factsheets app, CABI BioProtection Portal, Crop Sprayer App, PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank, and the CABI Academy.

Through small-group action planning, every participant left with a clear plan: to reach at least 1,000 more women farmers and IPM facilitators collectively across their provinces (Gandaki, Koshi, Bagamati, and Madhesh) by November 2025.

Ensure greater yields and profitability and sustainable food security

Dr Pandit said, “Farmers in Nepal face many threats to their livelihoods, from crop pests to plant diseases, and the lack of timely expert advice only worsens these challenges. This is especially true for smallholder and women farmers in rural areas.

“This partnership agreement strengthens our ability to ensure that the activities of the PlantwisePlus programme – including the plant clinics and plant doctors – bring practical diagnostics and advice directly to smallholder farmers.

“Since its inception in 2008, the plant clinic programme in Nepal has played a crucial role in assisting farmers by diagnosing crop issues and providing management recommendations to help increase their livelihoods and local and food security.”