Nepal is predominantly an agricultural country; however, agricultural performance is not encouraging. Over the recent years the agricultural growth rates are rather low. The proposed Agricultural and Forestry University will certainly help.

The trained human resources in agriculture and forestry is one of the important component of the country's development as a catalyst for overall process of national development.

The Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) is the only agricultural institute under Tribhuvan University in Nepal for providing higher-level academic training in agriculture and animal sciences. The IAAS traces its origin to a school of agriculture, established in 1957 in Kathmandu to train Junior Technical Assistant (JTAs). In 1968, the school was upgraded with I. Sc. Agriculture program to college of agriculture. In 1972, the college was recognized as the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science under Tribhuvan University and in 1974, moved to the present location at Rampur Chitwan. The masters degree program has been running since 1998 and doctoral program from 2002 at Rampur Chitwan.

The Institute of Forestry (IOF) has been responsible to produce trained human resources needed for the forestry sector of Nepal. The history of forestry education is even older than the history of agricultural education in Nepal. Training for Ranjer and Junior Technical Assistants was started in 1947. The training center was traferred to Suping (Bhimphedi) in 1957 and again it was transferred to Hetauda in 1965. The Institute of Forestry was established and kept under Trivuwan University in 1972. The Bachelor Degree was started in 1981 in Pokhara. Currently, IOF is running proficiency certificate leveling Hetauda and bachelor, master, M.Phil., and doctoral programs in Pokhara Campus.

More than 60 percent of the total area is occupied by the agriculture and forestry sector in Nepal. Overwhelming majority of the Nepalese people is generating employments and income from agricultural and forestry resources. The only one primary source of healthy food is healthy agriculture. In this connection, the establishment of Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) is indispensable. Furthermore, following points make clear on why we want to establish AFU in near future in Nepal:

• So far only teaching is mandatory to IAAS and IOF and these institutions have no direct link with the research and extension organizations. The proposed university, AFU will therefore help to bridge this gap,
• To conserve and protect local and indigenous plant and animal species from their depletion and extinction,
• To identify the real problems and develop suitable technologies in order to improve the living standard of the Nepalese farmers,
• To bring green and white revolution by coordinating agriculture, animals and birds, forestry, and environment,
• The AFU is indispensable to bring diversification and commercialization in agriculture. and
• The current facilities agriculture and forestry education are mainly localized in the central part of the Nepal. The agriculture and forestry of the entire country from East to West and Terai to High Mountain has yet to be covered. Therefore, the proposed AFU is indispensable.

There have been many attempts in the past to establish AFU in Nepal. The major efforts have been made only when the Eighth Five Year Plan (1992 to 1997) included the feasibility study of AFU. This team developed "University of Agriculture and Forestry: Implementation Plan". When this was discussed in the then parliament some of the parliamentary members showed their interest to establish proposed AFU in Tikapur, Kailali Distirct, Far-western Development Region of Nepal. Immediately, another team under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Hom Nath Bhattarai was formed in order to study the suitable location for the proposed AFU. This team also suggested Rampur, Chitwan as the best option for the establishment of the proposed AFU in Nepal. In 2004, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Kailash Nath Pyakuriyal another team was formed and this team also developed a proposal and recommended Chitwan, Central Nepal as the most suitable place for the establishment of AFU. Currently, the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science has formed a 5 faculty member's team under the coordinatorship of Dr. Punya Prasad Regmi. Similarly, the joint efforts of Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science Alumni Association and Industry and Commerce Organization of Chitwan have formed a 31 members' pressure group and 10 members' steering committee to establish AFU in Nepal. Honorable Finance Minister had included the proposed AFU to be established at Rampur on his budget speech for the fiscal year 2007/08. Now, there is a likelihood that the AFU will establish very soon provided that the concerted efforts are made from all sides. Many agriculture universities in abroad and almost all in India are found following the "Land Grant" model. The education must be accessible to all the Nepalese whether they are staying in the Mountains or in the Terai or in the west or in the east. Therefore, the proposed AFU has to be backed with its several colleges representing all the ecological and geographical areas of Nepal. Considering this fact, at least 14 colleges are featured under the proposed AFU.

The previous working teams had suggested Rampur and Chitwan to be the most suitable place for the central office of the proposed AFU in Nepal. This seems logical from many respects.

The feudal political systems in the past hindered the growth of agricultural education and research in Nepal. In the changed political context, the new hope has been emerged not only to establish AFU but also to make it effective by bringing teaching, research, and extension activities together. The agriculture and forestry of all the three ecological zones and five development regions need to be covered by the proposed 14 colleges and there should be place for the further expansions of agricultural and forestry colleges as per requirements. The establishment of AFU is indispensable to foster sustainable agricultural development in Nepal.

This article by Dr. Punya P Regmi was published in The Rising Nepal (September 21, 2007).
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