First Preparatory Meeting for the Upcoming Mango Symposium

The first preparatory meeting for the upcoming Mango Symposium was convened on 25th Aashad, 2082 at the Office of the Director General, Department of Agriculture, Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mr. Prakash Kumar Sanjel, Director General of the Department of Agriculture, and brought together representatives from the Government of Nepal, Nepal Horticulture Society, ICIMOD, and R&D Innovative Solution Pvt. Ltd. The upcoming symposium is being jointly organized by ICIMOD, CDAFN, and R&D Innovative Solution Pvt. Ltd., in collaboration with key sectoral stakeholders.
The primary agenda of the meeting was to initiate planning for the second National Mango Symposium, building on the momentum and success of the inaugural event held on 22nd July 2024. During the discussion, Mrs. Sunita Nhemaphuki, CEO of R&D Innovative Solution, highlighted key achievements that have taken place since the first symposium. Notable outcomes included the plantation of 11,000 mango saplings in Dhangadimai Municipality, organization of a Mango Fest, and the identification of key challenges in the mango sector, especially in production and market access.
The meeting also focused on outlining roles and responsibilities among the stakeholders to ensure effective coordination for the upcoming event. However, it was noted that the final report of the first symposium has not yet been published, and emphasis was placed on the need for each sector to actively contribute toward finalizing and disseminating that report. This was acknowledged as a crucial step for knowledge sharing and evidence-based planning moving forward.
Overall, the meeting laid the foundation for collaborative efforts to scale up the impact of the mango value chain in Nepal through the second symposium, while also reflecting on areas for institutional strengthening and sectoral alignment.