Strengthening Small Enterprises through Advocacy, From Grassroots to Policy
Working with farmers, beekeepers, and entrepreneurs often begins with the basics like developing business plans, maintaining proper accounting, improving access to finance, and learning about marketing. As these skills grow, entrepreneurs come together to form associations and engage in policy dialogue to create a supportive system that helps small enterprises sustain and thrive. Opening a business is one thing, but helping it grow and survive in the long run is another.
The InElam project of Helvetas Nepal works to develop entrepreneurs as well as to strengthen the broader system around them, ensuring that small-scale enterprises have the support they need to sustain themselves and succeed in the market.
One such sector is beekeeping and honey production. InElam has been working with beekeepers across Karnali and Madhesh provinces, supporting them in areas such as financial literacy, marketing, product promotion, and collective advocacy for favorable policies.
In this regard, the Beekeepers Association of Madhesh Province organized a policy advocacy workshop on “Opportunities and Challenges in Beekeeping” on 6 September 2025 in Bardibas, Mahottari. The event aimed to establish agriculture as a dignified profession in Nepal and contribute to an agricultural transformation.
The workshop was jointly organized by the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives of Madhesh Province and the Nepal Beekeepers Federation, Madhesh Province, in collaboration with the InElam project of Helvetas Nepal. The discussions focused on how beekeeping can contribute to agricultural growth, along with its challenges and future prospects.
Participants stressed the importance of recognizing beekeeping and honey production as a respected and dignified livelihood. The program also resulted in several key commitments:
1. Minister of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives of Madhesh Province, Janardan Singh Kshetri, announced that the provincial government would soon invest in beekeeping farmers. He stated that the government would facilitate farmers through provisions in the Agricultural Act.
2. Similarly, Dr. Umesh Dahal, Secretary of the Ministry, shared that a special package program would be developed in the Ministry’s upcoming work plan to promote beekeeping farmers.
3. Ratna Das Khatri, President of the Nepal Beekeepers Federation, Madhesh Province, remarked that although Nepal’s economy traditionally depends on agriculture, the sector has not received due priority from the government and requires significant reforms.
The workshop also featured key presentations from Bhojraj Sapkota, Head of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center, Lalitpur, presented a paper highlighting the technical aspects of beekeeping. Similarly, Durga Prasad Dawadi, former Joint Secretary of the Nepal Beekeepers Federation and bee expert, shared insights on “Prospects and Challenges of Beekeeping in Nepal.” And, Saroj Koirala, Chairperson of the Skill Business Consultancy and Training Center, presented on “Opportunities and Challenges of Beekeeping in Madhesh Province.”
The program included a presentation of promising evidences from Bhojraj Sapkota, Head of the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center in Lalitpur, presented a working paper, while former Joint Secretary of the Nepal Beekeepers Federation and bee expert Durga Prasad Dawadi presented a paper on “Prospects and Challenges of Beekeeping in Nepal.” Similarly, Saroj Koirala, Chairperson of the Skill Business Consultancy and Training Center, presented on “Opportunities and Challenges of Beekeeping in Madhesh Province.
Facilitating the event, Koirala also shared that 222 honey producers from Rautahat, Sarlahi, Bara, and Mahottari districts together produce around 290 metric tons of honey annually.
Speakers expressed concern that Nepali honey is often undervalued compared to Indian and other imported honey, despite its high quality. They called for greater recognition of domestic honey and the need to change the negative perception surrounding farming and beekeeping, urging that agriculture be viewed as a dignified and rewarding profession.
The event expressed the urgent need to create an enabling environment where beekeepers and farmers can access government services with ease, receive financial support without bureaucratic hurdles, and gain recognition for their contributions to the economy and environment.
This policy dialogue marks a meaningful step toward strengthening Nepal’s agricultural system and promoting entrepreneurship within it. Through continuous support to associations and networks, InElam is taking active steps toward building a favorable and supportive environment around beekeeping and honey production, a viable enterprise option for marginalized and disadvantaged groups.
InElam continues to demonstrate how small enterprises can drive local economies and contribute to Nepal’s broader agricultural transformation through linking grassroots entrepreneurship with policy advocacy.