Nepal, June 16 -- Unlike in the past, the government's proposed annual budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 has been largely praised by the private sector and critics alike as it is expected to address the economic challenges and boost the private sector's confidence. Remarkable as this is, we must ask: Will this budget help address domestic agriculture and the nearly inescapable downward spiral of declining productivity, considering the ongoing sluggish economic growth and high unemployment rates?

The agriculture sector is the largest employer in the country, and its improvements will surely benefit many people. However, even after six decades of agriculture being the national priority, the budget still reflects low agricultural productiv...