Home Gardens in Nepal

Management practices of home gardens

Fencing status
Home gardens without fencing are reported as the most common in all study sites. However,
fencing was found more in Terai regions (49-53%) than in the hills (9-14%). The most
commonly used fencing materials were the live fence, wooden stakes and bamboos. Sunwar
(2003) has also reported similar results of using fencing materials in the home garden.
Generally, fencing was done to protect home garden species from predators (wild animals,
domestic animals and thieves) as well as to provide support to creepers. Open grazing
practice is common in the Terai regions; therefore, we found the fencing of home gardens
more common in the Terai region (Jhapa and Rupandehi).

Fertilizer and Pesticide application
The use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides/insecticides was limited in
home gardens (fig 2). In all surveyed
sites, heavy application of organic
fertilizer was reported by 100% of the
farmers in home gardens. However,
supplementary application of chemical
fertilizers to the organic fertilizers is
common to those species/varieties
which were cultivated for the market,
these include hybrid varieties of crops
like cauliflower, cabbage, tomato,
potato, cucumber, aubergine, okra,
etc. Use of locally available pest
control techniques and materials such as ash, tobacco decoction, kerosene, soap water,
cattle urine and Titepati (Artimisia vulgaris) were common in home gardens.

Marketing system of home garden species
Home consumption was the principal purpose of home gardening as 60% of total fruits and
vegetable consumption comes from the home garden. Marketing the home garden surplus
produce was reported to be common only in Ilam site, where more than 80% farmers sell
their home garden produce in the market. Only 25%, 10% and 5% of farmers sell their
produce in market of Jhapa, Rupandehi and Gulmi respectively. In Ilam, farmers maintained
both organic based home gardens for home consumption and market gardens with
application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for market specific species.

The local market (Haat bazaar/Hatiya) was found to be a dominant market of home garden
produce particularly in Jhapa. However, in Rupandehi, the system of marketing home
garden produce in Hatiya is limited to the farmers from the Terai community only. In Ilam,
home garden produce are directly collected from their village by the local traders. In Gulmi,
there was no system of marketing home garden produce. Lack of market infrastructures and
transportation limits the scope of marketing home garden produce in Gulmi.

While marketing of home garden, product is a desirable goal. Besides supporting in family
nutrition by supplying fresh vegetables/fruits and dietary diversity, home gardens also
contribute to fulfil the basic needs of families by selling the surplus produce.

CONCLUSION

Home gardens are an integral part of Nepalese farming systems. Very rich species diversity
is found in home gardens, which merely occupies 2-4% of the total cultivable land. The

Use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in

home gardens

0

10

20

30

40

50

Gulmi Ilam Jhapa Rupandehi

home garden sites

no. of respondents

(%)

Fig. 2 Use of chemicals in home gardens Fertiliser Pesticides