The Department of Agriculture (DoA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD), Nepal was established in 2008 BS and restructured in 2074 BS into six central agencies and fourteen farm centers across the country. The DoA is responsible to disseminate agricultural services and technology to the farmers.
Currently, the DoA implements agricultural development programmes aimed at achieving the goals and objectives outlined in the Agricultural Development Strategy (2072-2092), the National Agricultural Policy (2061), and the Sixteenth Periodic Plan (2081/82-2085/86) The overarching goal of the Dod is to contribute to food security and poverty reduction by promoting sustainable economic growth through commercial and competitive agriculture. The strategic objectives of the Dod are; developing commercial and competitive agricultural systems by identifying and promoting crop and commodity-specific production areas based on local potential comparative advantage, and national priority
In the field of plant protection, the Doå strengthens the capacity of provincial and local governments, formulates and implement plant protection policies and programmes, and promotes initiatives such as Organic Agriculture, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Good Agriculture Practices. It also promotes and support the industries like mushroom, honeybee, and silkworm through policy development, programme implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and coordination with other government and non-government agencies, including the cooperatives, farmers' groups, and private sectors. The Central Agricultural Laboratory (CAL) under the Doß also supports plant protection by capacitating local and provincial officials and technicians, diagnosing plant pests, and pesticide residue analysis through Rapid Bioassay of Pesticide Residue for Organophosphate and Carbamates at twelve agricultural market centers across the country.
The National Plant Protection Organization-Nepal (NPPO-Nepal) has been established by the government of Nepal to implement the standards, guidelines and recommendations suggested by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Specifically, the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre (POPMC) assigned as a NPPO Secretariat, primarily to ensure the phytosanitary security for the export and import of plants and plant products. Under the overall supervision and guidance of NPPO, the Plant Quarantine and Protection Act, 2064 and the Plant Quarantine and Protection regulation, 2066 is being executed by the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center and its frontier offices. This center is also responsible for the execution of Pesticide Management Act, 2076 & Pesticide Management Regulation, 2081, for pesticide regulation and management. Furthermore, other development partners and private organizations are also providing plant protection services to the farmers.
The National Plant Pathology Research Centre, the National Entomology Research Centre, and the National Agronomy Research Centre under the Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology and Academic institutions such as Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), Tribhuvan University (TU), Purbanchal University (PU) and Kathmandu University (KU) are the key wings of researches in the plant protection sector. Likewise, plant protection education is being provided through universities and other academic institutions in Nepal. Provincial and local governments also deliver Plant Protection services at field level in their respective areas.
Plant Protection Society Nepal (PPS Nepal) is a professional organization established to cooperate with plant protection experts from diverse fields such as extension, policy, research, academia, and entrepreneurship on a common platform. It aims to foster constructive engagement on national and international plant protection issues through seminars, workshops, and conferences. The society encourages sharing of ideas across all levels of expertise to benefit Nepal's agrarian community. PPS Nepal also publishes the Journal of the Plant Protection Society, with eight volumes released by 2023, and is supported by experienced professionals in extension, research, and education
The role of plant protection in the transboundary movement of goods is very important Phytosanitary certification to ensure the product safety from quarantine pests of a specific country is highly regarded in the international trade of plants and plant products. Hence, the role of plant protection in managing plant health at the national and global levels is very challenging. In this context, the Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the PPS Nepal, is going to organize a national plant protection workshop.
