The Government of Nepal has announced that it will begin determining the minimum support price (MSP) for major food crops within 30 days, as part of a broader package of 100 governance reform programs approved by the Cabinet on March 27.
The MSP initiative aims to protect farmers from losses caused by volatile market prices, especially in the absence of guaranteed minimum pricing for key agricultural products. To further safeguard farmers’ interests, the government will require buyers to settle payments within 25 days of purchase. Failure to do so will result in interest charges on the delayed amount, with guidelines to be issued जल्द to enforce the rule.
To improve market access, the reforms include launching a National Agricultural Market Information System that will provide farmers with daily price updates via SMS and digital platforms. Local governments will also be encouraged to organize weekly agricultural markets in every municipality. Additionally, the “One Municipality, One Cold Storage Center” program will be introduced to enhance storage and marketing capacity.
A feasibility study for establishing cold storage facilities in each district through public–private partnerships will be completed within 10 days. The government also plans to issue soil health cards to commercial farmers within three months.
On land management, authorities aim to complete a unified digital registry and verification of landless squatters and unmanaged settlers within 60 days. To address the issue more comprehensively over the next 1,000 days, household surveys will be conducted in coordination with local governments. Clear eligibility criteria—such as income level, asset ownership, and a cut-off date—will be set to identify genuine beneficiaries.
The government will update and digitize records of public, unregistered, and guthi land into a GIS-based system, and verified squatters will gradually be provided land. In densely populated urban areas, integrated housing projects will be developed as an alternative solution.
To ensure transparency, a public dashboard will track land distribution and resettlement progress, with implementation overseen by relevant ministries.
The reform agenda also targets the protection of public land by strengthening monitoring systems, digitizing records, and launching immediate action against encroachment. A special campaign will be introduced to prevent new encroachments and remove existing ones.
Furthermore, following the report of the Nepal Children’s Organization investigation commission, the government will begin a probe within 15 days into alleged land encroachment and misuse linked to the organization.
