2022 Seed Grant Award Problem Statements 

Agriculture / Food Security

Problem #2:  Women and Smallholder Ginger Farmers Suffer Loss in Productivity and Profitability Due to Lack of Access to Locally Owned and Led Development Models, Low-Cost, and Effective Ginger Storage Options

Country/Region of execution: Nepal
Collaborating Organization: Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was founded in 1943 and has supported partners in Nepal since the 1970s. CRS arrived in Nepal in response to the 2015 earthquake, supporting over 20,000 households to rebuild their homes and integrating reconstruction programming with economic recovery through assistance to earthquake-affected farmers. CRS assisted 40,000 families through seed distributions, farmer field schools on production and storage, and goat interventions while also piloting a three-year project to introduce and support cardamom pre-and post-production. CRS works strengthen agricultural value chains in Nepal through the USAID Farmer to Farmer program in which provides technical assistance from US agriculture experts (including from Purdue University) to local organizations to improve productivity, improve access to markets, and build local capacities. CRS completed an inclusive value chain assessment for lentil and ginger in February 2020, the results of which inform our continued value chain support.
Problem Statement Description: Ginger is a major cash crop in Nepal, especially for women and other vulnerable farmers, as it grows on hilly marginal lands with a relatively low cost of production. Between 2010-2017 its cultivation increased by 34%, an area under production increased by 27%, and productivity increased by 11%, reflecting its potential to contribute to the income of marginalized communities. Demand for ginger in local and international markets can ensure sustainability and financial self-reliance despite price fluctuations. CRS Nepal, collaborating with the Agriculture and Forestry University, conducted a ginger value chain study in 2020 to understand barriers that smallholders and women farmers face to engage with key actors, including the private sector. The study found that their profitability is reduced as they are compelled to sell produce immediately after harvest, when the prices are low, due to a lack of access to appropriate storage options. Large farmers, who are better able to store ginger, can sell their crop off-season when the prices are high and earn greater profit. Many smallholders reported deterioration of stored ginger, often used for seed purposes, impacting productivity. Based on the study’s recommendations, CRS Nepal is exploring collaborations with stakeholders, including the government, to build economic capacity for marginalized groups by improving their links to markets and storage facilities, ensuring their participation at different levels of ginger value chains, and enhancing access to productivity-enhancing technologies, thereby improving profitability. Government agencies like the Ginger Research Program under the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) have developed ginger storage technologies that have shown promising results in reducing storage losses. Outreach and adoption of these solutions have been low among smallholders and women farmers, and adaptations are needed to make them appropriate for resource-poor smallholders and scalable across diverse locations. CRS will provide technical support to refine existing solutions, using farmer feedback to understand barriers to adopting existing storage models, developing and piloting prototype storage models, and making adaptive changes based on pilot results. CRS has strong relationships with the NARC to leverage their existing resources and has project staff in three municipalities to support implementation. This links to SDG Goals 1 and 2, achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture and livelihoods. By overcoming these problems, smallholder farmers will be able to increase productivity and income from ginger.