OVOP news corner OVOP Secretariat, AEC/FNCCI One Village One Product (OVOP) Program in Nepal

First of all in 1979, "One Village One Product" (OVOP) program was initiated by Mr. Morihiko Hiramatshu the then Governor of Oita prefecture, Japan. The Finance Minister of the Government of Nepal through his budget speech amidst House of Representatives has announced the launching of OVOP program in Nepal with effect from the very beginning of the fiscal year 2063/64. (2006/07 AD) Inspired by successful story of OVOP program in Japan, Thailand and other countries, the OVOP program introduced in Nepal is totally based on public private partnership concept. The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) had worked out a great deal of homework to introduce OVOP program in Nepal. Finally, FNCCI/Nepal has been successful in introducing OVOP in Nepal in partnership with Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Government of Nepal. The main objective of OVOP in Nepal: The overall objective of this program in Nepal is to alleviate poverty in local community and to benefit the local people developing entrepreneurship among the local people. Other specific objectives are: To develop local product and to add value in the product as per market demand through involvement of local people and their skills To develop competitive product system identifying the export potential product through specialized product oriented process. To alleviate the local community poverty and to help enhancing economic development. To develop and to promote the branding of the product

Implementation aspects: The overall program has been implemented under a special OVOP working procedure called as "Ek Gaon Ek Utpadan (One Village One Product) Karyakram Karyanoyen Karyabidhi, 2063" that was prepared jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Agro Enterprise Centre/FNCCI and then amended in the year 2065. A high level agribusiness promotion committee headed by Minister, MOAC with the secretaries from various ministries including the president of FNCCI/Neapl as member in the policy level committee guides the OVOP committees.

There are two central level committees. One is Implementing Committee that comprises of 20 members from different Ministries and other related institutions. The coordinator of the committee is the president of FNCCI followed by two Vice-Coordinators. One is Joint secretary from Agribusiness Promotion and Statistics Division of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and another one is the Chairman of Agro Enterprise Centre/FNCCI. As defined in the working procedure, Agro Enterprise Centre has been authorized to work as a Secretariat of OVOP program in Nepal where the Executive Director works as Member Secretary of the Implementing Committee. Another Committee in the central level formed is "Basket Fund" sub-committee. This committee comprises 5 members headed by Joint Secretary of Agri-Business Promotion and Statistics Division of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives as a coordinator. Beside central level committees, there is a provision of district level committee. The number of committees varies as per number of district included in the program. At present, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Bardiya and Kaski are the districts where OVOP is being implemented. This committee would have maximum five members, where the coordinator is the Chairman of district chamber of commerce and industries and the vice coordinator is the District Agriculture Development Officer. Local Development Officer or his representative represent as a core member. This program has been launched as a pilot project. The product selected in the first year were: Product 1. Junar (Sweet Orange) 2. Lapsi 3. Rainbow Trout Fish 4. Bael District Sindhuli and Ramechhap Bhaktapur Nuwakot and Rasuwa Siraha, Bardiya and Banke

The program has got continuity in the fiscal year 2064/65 also as a national prioritized program. In second year, two new products like Cymbidium Orchid in Lalitpur district and agro tourism Lekhnath, Kaski have been included in the program.

The Map below indicates the districts and the products selected under OVOP/Nepal Program.

Irrespective to the agriculture product, any product could be included in the program. That could be handicrafts or herbs, pottery or fine arts or any others. The most important thing is that the product should be unique, qualitative and competitive in the internal as well as external market. Also, the product could be developed as niche product for the niche market. However, the interest from different ministries, financial institutions, and local government has now been coming up with a positive notion to help the program in one or other way. Similarly, JETRO and JICA the important donor agencies have also been showing the interest to cooperate the OVOP program in Nepal. Particularly, JETRO is providing technical advice to carry a study on what kind of Nepalese product is suitable and good for Japan market. OVOP and Rainbow Trout Fish Rainbow trout fish is one of the products selected under OVOP program in Nuwakot and Rasuwa district. The program has set the target of producing 400 metric tones of table fish within the period of 3 years from Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts. Nuwakot: Rainbow trout fish program has been launched in Nuwakot district from the very beginning of the launching of OVOP program in Nepal. The following statistics shows the progress made till date in Rainbow trout fish sector under OVOP program.

Particulars

1. Raceway (No.) 2. Area of raceway (Sq.m.) 1400 2577 3. Fingerlings Prod. (No.) 100,000* 205,5000** 4. Table Fish Prod. (mt) 14 18 5. VDC Coverage (No.) 4 6 6. Farmer's Group (No.) 1 1 7.Farmers involvement (No.) 8 24 8. Market Extension (No.) 2 2 * Fingerling produced by the Government Farm ** Fingerling produced by the private sector farmers

Position before launching of program 76

Progress in the Target for the FY FY 2064/65 2065/66 155 225 4000 800,000 40 25

40 2

The program has helped four private sector's trout farmers, two in the year 2063/64 and two in the year 2064/65 in Nuwakot district to produce fingerlings in their own raceways. Technical support has been provided to farmers by both the Fisheries Development Directorate and the Fishery Research Division (NARC). District Agricultural Office and the Nuwakot Chamber of Commerce and Industry have been providing all other administrative support to the program under direct supervision of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the OVOP Secretariat, AEC/FNCCI. The program in an overall is going straight forward towards its goal under public private partnership program. Rasuwa: In Rasuwa, the program has been launched only in second year of OVOP program launched in Nepal i.e. in the 2064/65. Likewise in Nuwakot, the district program implementing committee has already been formed headed by the Chairman of Rasuwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a coordinator.

The progress made in Rasuwa till date in Rainbow trout fish sector under OVOV program is as follows: Particulars Position before launching of program 2 Progress in the Target for the FY FY 2064/65 2065/66 15 65 700 300,000 10,000 4 15 135 3

1. Raceway (No.) 2. Area of raceway (ha) 10 88 3. Fingerlings Prod. (No.) 50,000* 4. Table Fish Prod. (kg) 200 700 5. VDC Coverage (No.) 1 2 6. Farmer's Group (No.) 7 7.Farmers involvement (No.) 1 63 8. Market Extension (No.) 1 2 *Fingerling produced by the farmers in private sector

The fingerling production as shown above is produced by the private sector's farmer. The program has been supported by the Agricultural Development Office, Local Development Office, Fishery Research Station, Rasuwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry in local level and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the line agencies like Department of Agriculture, Fisheries Development Directorate and the Fishery Research Division (NARC) in central level along with OVOP Secretariat AEC/FNCCI. Produced by: Ganesh Shakya OVOP Secretariat, AEC/FNCCI