Organic agriculture is an emerging intervention in the farming system of Nepal, largely influenced by sharp demand in the national and regional markets, anticipated brisk economic growth, and growing concern of sustainability. The paper examined the determining and motivational factors affecting the decision of conventional producers and consumers towards organic vegetables. The very likely determining factors of willingness to pay and willingness to accept for consumers and producers, respectively, were identified using probit model. Findings revealed that education, landholding size, experience, information obtained from training and mobile/internet, and perception on organic productivity were significant determining factors for willingness to adopt organic farming at producers’ level. Similarly, age, education level, per capita income, perception on taste and nutrition of organic vegetables, and attitudes toward environment and pesticide residues were significantly influential to consumers’ willingness to pay a premium price for organic vegetables. Therefore, policymakers should consider the cost-saving strategies and information extension to encourage organic conversion at the producers’ level. At consumers’ level, nutrition and residual labeling and certification along with nudging strategies should be adopted to encourage and build confidence on organic vegetables. 

Migration has been a part of the livelihood strategy and risk diversification to relieve crises. Food insecurity as a consequence as well as a cause of migration demands review during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper is an attempt to explore the dynamics and vulnerabilities that ensue from the nexus of migration, food security, and COVID-19, as the economic crisis of COVID-19 seems more intensive when viewed through a migration lens. The vulnerability of the economy based on food imports and remittances is heightened by COVID-19. The whole nexus of migration and food security has shifted; even the positive aspects of migration are predisposed to vulnerabilities. 

The study employed cost-return analysis, the Cobb-Douglas production function, and the marginal value product-marginal factor cost (MVP-MFC) approach to estimate and analyze the profitability, productivity, and resource use efficiency of banana production in the Hetauda-Dumkibas road corridor. Primary data and information were collected from a total of 160 banana producers, 80 from each district, using pretested semi-structured questionnaires. The benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of bananas was 1.57 in the first cropping season and 1.92 in succeeding cropping seasons, indicating that one USD spent on banana production yielded 57 cents profit in the first cropping season and 92 cents in succeeding cropping seasons. Suckers, fertilizers, labor, and fixed variables were found to have positive and significant effects on the gross income of banana production. The return to scale (1.037) was found to be slightly increasing. The analysis of resource use efficiency showed that fixed variables (mainly rental value and insurance), suckers, and labor were underutilized resources, while plant protection chemicals and manures were overutilized resources. Expensive and inadequate insurance coverage, insufficient quality suckers, and the timely unavailability of labor were major reasons for underutilization, while easy availability of manures and a higher occurrence of pests and diseases were reasons for overutilization of manures and plant protection chemicals, respectively. Therefore, research on tissue culture technology should be promoted to produce a large scale of disease and pest-resistant varieties of bananas. Moreover, policy efforts to enhance reliable distribution networks of insurance companies and intercultural agro-machinery are recommended to increase profitability and productivity from banana production.

The Government of Nepal has announced a super-zone for bananas in Chitwan district and a block in Nawalparasi East district to enhance the productivity and commercialization of the banana subsector in the Hetauda-Dumkibas road corridor. This study is the first of its kind, aiming to analyze the competitive position of banana value chains in the corridor. Using a literature review approach, the paper developed a conceptual framework to assess the competitiveness of the value chain. A total of 160 producers, 22 traders, 3 wholesale commission agents, and 10 agrovets were selected using a stratified random sampling method. Pretested semi-structured questionnaires, focused group discussions, and key informant interviews were conducted to collect primary data, which was then analyzed using STATA and MS Excel. The study revealed two value chain streams in the corridor—one in Chitwan district and another in Nawalparasi East district. Most of the structural indicators were found to be similar for both value chain streams. The banana market exhibited monopolistic competition along both chains. Producers in Chitwan district showed greater competitiveness than those in Nawalparasi East due to their higher benefit-cost ratio and a higher farm gate price for bananas. This difference could be attributed to a relatively better institutional setup that contributed to extension services, insurance, training, and a higher rate of technological adoption in Chitwan district. Furthermore, the value chain stream in Nawalparasi East had relatively lower marketing costs and a higher market margin, market efficiency, and value addition. This was influenced by shorter chains and a lower level of transportation costs. As a result, policy efforts to strengthen local institutions providing extension, training, insurance, market information, and credit are recommended to enhance the performance of the value chain. Additionally, promoting processing and value addition of bananas should be a concern for development practitioners and policy makers.