CIMMYT’s presence in Nepal dates back to the 1960s when imported and improved wheat varieties supported livelihoods in the Terai region. In 1985, CIMMYT formalized a partnership with the Government of Nepal focused on improving cropping and seed systems, market development, and agricultural technology.
Recently, in December 2023, the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) and CIMMYT signed a memorandum of understanding centered around agricultural productivity and research-for-impact. Gender and social inclusion is an integral part of CIMMYT’s portfolio in Nepal. In the past year, women farmers have comprised 52% of all soil fertility and seed production trainees. Forty of the 50 locally recruited agriculture technicians in 50 partner cooperatives were women.
Our impact
- Between 2010-2022, NARC released 17 new maize varieties including six hybrids and 22 high-yielding wheat varieties using germplasm sourced from CIMMYT.
- In 2021, CIMMYT and NARC developed and launched the digital soil map of Nepal to drive the development of market-led fertilizer products, aid fertilizer procurement and distribution, and update soil management recommendations.
- Each year, CIMMYT trains between 8,000- 10,000 farmers and market actors on good agricultural practices and agribusiness.
- In 2018-2023, about 13,051 farmers, of which 5,233 were women, have gained affordable access to and benefited from scale-appropriate machinery.
Capacity development, Innovations, 
