Request for Proposal – Reference No. UNDP-NPL-00363: Pilot testing of Precision Agriculture

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Pilot testing of Precision Agriculture and RE powered irrigation for increased productivity

Project Description

The Renewable Energy for Resilient Agri-Food Systems (RERAS) project is a joint initiative of the Government of Nepal, Government of Norway and UNDP. The project is implemented by UNDP in partnership with AEPC/CREF/RERL, WFP, ICIMOD and LIBIRD in 20 selected municipalities of Sudurpachhim, Karnali and Bagmati provinces with an aim to increase food and nutrition security of the farming households through enhanced food production and productivity, integration of renewable energy solutions and creation of enabling environment at the local levels.

The RERAS project specifically targets enhancing agricultural output and ensuring food and nutrition security in the municipalities of Bajura, Jumla, and Mugu. It achieves this by promoting the use of reliable and affordable energy solutions for various agricultural processes, including production, irrigation, processing, storage, packaging, and marketing of locally sourced farm products.

Many factors affect crop productivity. Lack of irrigation and depletion of soil fertility remain as major challenges in increasing crop yield in the project areas. The availability and uptake of soil nutrient by the plants depends on physical, chemical, and microbial conditions of the soil. Availability of soil organic matter (SOM), plant nutrients, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and micronutrients, soil texture and structure, acidity and alkalinity, moisture and water content, salinity, microbes, temperature, contaminants etc. determine productivity and sustainability of agricultural practices. Optimal soil conditions are required for crop growth, development and yield. Conversely, deficiencies or imbalances in soil conditions may lead to poor plant growth and reduced crop yields. Thus, farmers must monitor and manage soil conditions to optimize crop yield and ensure sustainable farming practices. However, farmers in the rural areas of Nepal where the agriculture extension services are scarce do not have the knowhow or the means to monitor and manage soil condition. Nor do farmer have the knowhow of the optimal amount of water requirement for crops. They either use too little water because of lack of irrigation facilities and/or have excessive water due to extreme weather conditions. As a result, crop yields are sub optimal. This discourages farmers to take up farming as a profession. Consequently, farmers especially younger generations to look for economic opportunities outside of farming and most opt for out-migration.

On the other hand, precision agriculture with enhanced applications of the digital technologies viz-a viz Internet of Things (IoT) solutions can provide real time data insights and monitoring using remote sensing that allows informed data-driven decisions to optimize water usage (frequency and duration of irrigation needed to maintain adequate soil moisture) based on the selected crop and management of soil health resulting in enhanced crop management.

This can ultimately lead to increased climate resilience, increased agricultural productivity and sustainable livelihoods, all of which combined bear the potential of preventing further youth out migration.

Thus, the RERAS Project aims to pilot test in pocket areas with lift irrigation in combination with and IoT solution, i.e., digital agriculture sensors to monitor soil parameters on a real time basis and facilitate the provision of dynamic and customized agri advisory service to farmers to ensure optimal use of water and nutrition for maximum yield.

The specific objective of this pilot test is to support farmers in a select pocket area at Dhaulapani-4, Tatopani Rural Municipality (Gaun Palika) in Jumla district for the following:

• Monitor soil and water requirements of apple orchard in the designated pocket areas
• Technical support for the system installed
• Training and capacity building of farmers and Palika officers on monitoring, operation and maintenance of the system installed.
• Coordination with concerned Palika at Tatopani for integration with the Palika’s existing digital platform
• Provide agri-advisory service to farmers based on soil monitoring for apple orchards.

Click on the link below for a detailed RFP:

Terms of Reference _ Precision Agriculture

Deadline: 15-Oct-24 @ 07:15 AM (New York time)

For additional information and documents and for further application procedures, click on the link below:

Procurement | United Nations Development Programme (undp.org)