Nepal's Farmers Miss Out on Biofortified Wheat Benefits
Nepal has released six biofortified wheat varieties to combat micronutrient deficiencies in the country, but farmers are not aware of their nutritional benefits.
The most widely grown variety is Zinc Gahun 1, which contains higher concentrations of zinc and iron. However, a survey found that only 3 out of 100 farmers knew what made it nutritionally different.
Farmers in Kapilvastu and Rupandehi districts were surveyed, and none of them mentioned zinc or iron as reasons for growing the crop. They all said it gave better harvests.
The market does not reward farmers for growing biofortified crops, as millers do not pay more for them. This lack of awareness may put the future of these crops at risk, with only 45.3% of adopters planning to continue growing Zinc Gahun in the next season.