About Organization

1. Organization nature and structure

With a view to provide quick and efficient agriculture service based on commodity-wise specialty, five departments, including horticulture, were established in 1967 (2024 B.S.). It was not administratively and financially practicable to run services to Nepalese farmers from many departments due to nature of integrated production system, thus all the five departments were merged, and the Department of Agriculture was reestablished in 1972 (2029 B.S). In this structure, in order to implement crop specific development services effectively, Vegetable Development Section was established to undertake programs related to vegetables, potato and spices. In the same year National Potato Development Program was established for the development of potato crop. For developing necessary infrastructure and technology in the sector of spice crop development, important activities were initiated from fiscal year 2032/33 B.S. (1975/76) , Agriculture year,  in a planned way. In the same fiscal year, Cardamom Development Project was established at Fikkal, Illam and Ginger Research Center was established on 1977  (2034 B.S). in Pokhara.

 Visualizing horticulture’s potentiality and role to play in economic development, Department of Horticulture was re-commissioned in 1989 (2046 B.S.). Again, under the restructuring of Ministry of Agriculture, all the departments including Horticulture were brought under one umbrella- the Department of Agriculture, Vegetable Development Section was changed to Vegetable Development Division. In the same year Cardamom and Ginger Development Program was operated at central level and during organizational reconstruction of 1995 (2052 B.S.) it was renamed as Ginger and Cardamom Section.

Different divisions had been operated under Department of Agriculture as separate offices, while in July 1999 (2056 B.S.), they were considered assisting divisions of the department and financial transactions also were conducted by the department, narrowing down the role of the divisions. Because of this, service works were slowed down due to requirement of the longer administrative processes. Realizing the negative effect of this process on development, these divisions were re-identified as separate offices under the Department of Agriculture based on the decision of the Nepal Government (Ministerial Level panel) of July 10, 2000 (Ashadh 26, 2057). This time, Divisions were renamed as Directorates and they were mandated to provide administrative control over and a financial guideline to the offices under them, Vegetable Development Directorate was one of them. 

Two separate offices with different staffs and program budgets; Potato Crop Development Section, later named as National Potato Crop Development Program, and Ginger and Cardamom Development Section, later named as, National Spice Crops Development Program, were kept under administrative control under Vegetable Development Directorate from July 1992 (2049 B. S.), while since 2000 (2057 B.S.), this Directorate was assigned to undertake financial transactions as well. Realizing difficulties in this process, these programs were assigned to operate financial transaction themselves from 2003 based on the decision of Government of Nepal.

After the political and administrative restructuring  of the country, former Vegetable Development Directorate, National Potato Development Program and National Spice Crops Development Program were merged to single organization as National Center for Potato, Vegetables and Spice Crop Development under Department of Agriculture based on the decision of Government of Nepal (Cabinet level) of July 16, 2018 (Ashadh 32, 2075).

2. TOR of the organization

• Provide program and policy wise direction and feedback to related farm centers.
• National Focal office for the promotion of potato, vegetables and spice country.
• Preparation and implementation of special production program like mission programs of national importance crops under this center.
• Identification of the problems related to potato, vegetable and spice crops and providing policy wise suggestions to the Department of Agriculture.
• Demonstrate and extend the novel technologies in the related farm centers.
• Production and distribution of plant propagation materials.
• Provide specialist service of potato, vegetables and spice crops.
• To provide necessary consultancy service regarding management of farm centers.
• Other activities as specified by Government of Nepal  in the field of potato, vegetables and spice crops.