Nepal is a landlocked country bordering China and India (Courselink, 2016). With a population of 28 million in 147,141km2, Nepal is home to 8 of the 14 highest peaks of the world including Mount Everest. In comparison, Canada is 64 times greater than Nepal, but has a similar population with approximately 6 million more people. If a Canadian were to live in Nepal, they would be 6.5 times more likely to be unemployed, make 95% less money, be 6.5 times more likely to die in infancy, die 13 years sooner, use 99% less electricity, consume 99% less oil, and have 2 times more babies. As statistics help show, Nepal is an underdeveloped country when compared to Canada.
In Nepal, a total of 3.1 million cultivable hectares employ over 70% of the population. From the agriculture industry, Nepal generates 38% of its GDP. Nepal’s land use is primarily taken by forest and shrubs, with agricultural land, and grassland and pasture taken up the second greatest area. Nepal is divided into three agro-ecological regions, mountain (35%), hill (42%), and terai (23%), where hills and mountains commonly grow fruits, vegetables and livestock, while the terai regions are responsible for larger quantities of small grains and cereal crop. Particularly to the hill regions, temperatures are sub-tropical to warm and the soil is a clay loam to sandy loam. Terrace farming is commonly used in maize and millet cropping systems. Primarily of interest in the hills region, is the ability to grow fruits like apples, pears, and citrus fruits. The transportation in the hill regions depend on mules and sheep (Courselink, 2016). With agriculture employing the majority of the population, methods of production and efficiency of production are important to consider in these three agro-ecological regions.
Fruit Production in Nepal
Fruit is primarily grown in the hill and mountain regions in Nepal with a small amount grown in the terai regions (Publication, 1999). Commercial fruit production is not traditional in Nepal, instead production is limited to homestead gardens and fruit trees used for domestic consumption. That being said, there are still small orchards in the hill and mountain regions Primarily grown in the hills and mountain regions are mangoes, papayas, bananas, oranges, limes, lemons, peach plums, nectarine, persimmon, Asian pears, chestnuts, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries. Presently, deciduous fruits are of the most importance of the fruit crops in Nepal. In the past 10 years, fruit crop production has increased by almost 50 percent, but has had little effect on commercial scale production due to the scattered distribution. In the order of most commonly grown, apples are followed by pears and peaches. The Himalayan region in particular, around 1800-2800m above sea level, is considered suitable for high quality apple production. Being that fruit production is often on the mountain slope or hill, orchards are planted following a contour system. The fruit is managed and harvested all by hand, then stored in one place until they are sent to market. Nepal has no grading system in place for fruits but instead they visually inspect the bad ones due to harvest damage or pests and disease damage. Because the fruit production takes place in the mountain and hill regions, transporting the fruit to market is a lengthy difficult process that can take several days. This lengthy process can cause fruit to go bad taking away from a farmers yield. Fruit production has a lot of potential in Nepal as it continues to grow. The table below shows the growth in 5 years Nepal has experienced in its deciduous fruit production (Publication, 1999).
Alcohol Use in Nepal
Alcohol consumption in Nepal is normal and widely accepted by the public (Jhingan et al., 2003). Unfortunately for Nepal, it is also a major issue in Nepal in regards to alcohol and drug abuse. The alcohol industry in Nepal brings in one of the highest revenues in the national economy. Alcohol is favored by the marketing industry, and is available to anyone 18 and older. Alcohol and tobacco products claim 30% of all the advertising in Nepal. Minimal restrictions on alcohol has created the opportunity for consumption abuse and social abuse. Alcohol consumption has also not held the same criticism it once did through religion.
The most common types of alcohol in Nepal are jand/chang homebrews made from fermented grains, and raksi, a liquor made from distilled grain and raw sugar. Other common drinks; beers, distilled liquors, and imported drinks all made from factory production systems. Surprisingly, ciders or fermented juices are not common in Nepal considering all the deciduous fruit production. Somersby Apple Cider has marketed itself along with other cider production companies, but the idea of homebrew fermentation is a relatively newer concept to the Nepalese (Jhingan et al., 2003). This has opened the opportunity for Canada to export the required goods for one to start up their own homebrew operation.
In Nepal, a total of 3.1 million cultivable hectares employ over 70% of the population. From the agriculture industry, Nepal generates 38% of its GDP. Nepal’s land use is primarily taken by forest and shrubs, with agricultural land, and grassland and pasture taken up the second greatest area. Nepal is divided into three agro-ecological regions, mountain (35%), hill (42%), and terai (23%), where hills and mountains commonly grow fruits, vegetables and livestock, while the terai regions are responsible for larger quantities of small grains and cereal crop. Particularly to the hill regions, temperatures are sub-tropical to warm and the soil is a clay loam to sandy loam. Terrace farming is commonly used in maize and millet cropping systems. Primarily of interest in the hills region, is the ability to grow fruits like apples, pears, and citrus fruits. The transportation in the hill regions depend on mules and sheep (Courselink, 2016). With agriculture employing the majority of the population, methods of production and efficiency of production are important to consider in these three agro-ecological regions.
Fruit Production in Nepal
Fruit is primarily grown in the hill and mountain regions in Nepal with a small amount grown in the terai regions (Publication, 1999). Commercial fruit production is not traditional in Nepal, instead production is limited to homestead gardens and fruit trees used for domestic consumption. That being said, there are still small orchards in the hill and mountain regions Primarily grown in the hills and mountain regions are mangoes, papayas, bananas, oranges, limes, lemons, peach plums, nectarine, persimmon, Asian pears, chestnuts, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries. Presently, deciduous fruits are of the most importance of the fruit crops in Nepal. In the past 10 years, fruit crop production has increased by almost 50 percent, but has had little effect on commercial scale production due to the scattered distribution. In the order of most commonly grown, apples are followed by pears and peaches. The Himalayan region in particular, around 1800-2800m above sea level, is considered suitable for high quality apple production. Being that fruit production is often on the mountain slope or hill, orchards are planted following a contour system. The fruit is managed and harvested all by hand, then stored in one place until they are sent to market. Nepal has no grading system in place for fruits but instead they visually inspect the bad ones due to harvest damage or pests and disease damage. Because the fruit production takes place in the mountain and hill regions, transporting the fruit to market is a lengthy difficult process that can take several days. This lengthy process can cause fruit to go bad taking away from a farmers yield. Fruit production has a lot of potential in Nepal as it continues to grow. The table below shows the growth in 5 years Nepal has experienced in its deciduous fruit production (Publication, 1999).
Alcohol Use in Nepal
Alcohol consumption in Nepal is normal and widely accepted by the public (Jhingan et al., 2003). Unfortunately for Nepal, it is also a major issue in Nepal in regards to alcohol and drug abuse. The alcohol industry in Nepal brings in one of the highest revenues in the national economy. Alcohol is favored by the marketing industry, and is available to anyone 18 and older. Alcohol and tobacco products claim 30% of all the advertising in Nepal. Minimal restrictions on alcohol has created the opportunity for consumption abuse and social abuse. Alcohol consumption has also not held the same criticism it once did through religion.
The most common types of alcohol in Nepal are jand/chang homebrews made from fermented grains, and raksi, a liquor made from distilled grain and raw sugar. Other common drinks; beers, distilled liquors, and imported drinks all made from factory production systems. Surprisingly, ciders or fermented juices are not common in Nepal considering all the deciduous fruit production. Somersby Apple Cider has marketed itself along with other cider production companies, but the idea of homebrew fermentation is a relatively newer concept to the Nepalese (Jhingan et al., 2003). This has opened the opportunity for Canada to export the required goods for one to start up their own homebrew operation.