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Rajendra Uprety : Curriculum Vitae

RajendraUprety, PhD

Address: Bhattachowk, Biratnagar-6, Morang, Nepal

Home Phone: +977-21-463524| Mobile No.: +977-9842050835

E-mail Address: upretyr@yahoo.com| Skype: urajendra

Linkedin profile: https://np.linkedin.com/in/rajendra-uprety-1011a519

 Nationality: Nepali

                                                   

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

v  Agriculture research, agriculture intensification and  livelihood development

v  Technology innovation, integration and dissemination

v  Intensive rice farming technology including System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method

v  Cereals and vegetables based crop management and seed production

v  Agriculture extension and development communication

v  Program planning, monitoring and evaluation

v  Irrigation management and plant nutrient management

v  Agriculture mechanization

v  Crop/commodity specific value chain development

v  Conservation agriculture, organic farming and climate-smart agriculture

v  Plant protection (insect/pest/disease) management (including IPM)

v  Training and capacity development

v  Nursery (flowers, fruit, vegetables) management

 

Education                                                                                                     

PhD (Agriculture intensification and livelihood): Thesis on Agricultural intensification in Nepal, with particular reference to systems of rice intensification. (2016). Wageningen University, the Netherlands.

M.Sc. (Agriculture Extension): Thesis on Factors Influencing Participation of Members in Farmers Group Activities in the Sunsari District of Nepal. (2000-2002). Tribhuvan University, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Chitwan, Nepal.

B.Sc. Agriculture (Plant breeding and Agronomy): (1987-1990).Tribhuvan University, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Chitwan, Nepal.

 

Relevant Trainings                                                                                      

• Inclusive Leadership: Becoming a Successful Leader. A course of study offered by CatalystX, an online learning initiative of Catalyst through edX.

https://verify.edx.org/cert/bc484bcbc0814042b51e97a3cb7df0fe

• e-Learning- Sustainable Agricultural Land Management Projects: Soil Carbon Monitoring: 24 November- 12 December 2014. The World Bank Group.

Long-term dynamics of food and human development: 15-22 February 2008. Organized by Wageningen Graduate Schools, Wageningen University, The Netherlands.

Agriculture Planning and Management: 28 January to 15 March 2007. Organized by Agriculture Training Directorate, Department of Agriculture, Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur, Nepal.

Project Proposal Writing: 27-31 December, 2004. Organized by Agriculture Training Directorate, Department of Agriculture, Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur, Nepal.

• International Training on Agricultural Resources Management. 27 June to 26 July 2004. Organized by DETC/Thailand and Maejo University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Training of Trainers: 24 March to 4 April 2003. Organized by Central Agriculture Training Center, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Management Skill Development: 16-20 June 1998. Organized by Agriculture Project Service Center (APROSC) and Community Shallow Tube-well Irrigation Project (CSTIP), Biratnagar, Nepal.

Seed Production and Supply: 7-12 September 1997. Organized by Central Agriculture Training Center, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Fresh Vegetable and Vegetable Seed Production: 02-08 December 1995. Organized by FAO/Fresh Vegetable and Vegetable Seed Production Project, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Professional Experiences

Regional Agriculture Directorate, Biratnagar, Nepal

Senior Agriculture Extension Officer                                                                              7 months

·         Supervision and monitoring of regional agriculture development programs implemented by the 16 District Agriculture Development Offices within eastern development region Nepal.

·         Coordination and collaboration with development partners (GOs/NGOs/Private sectors).

·         Spoke-person of the directorate.

District Agriculture Development Offices, (Okhaldhunga, Jhapa and Morang districts) Nepal            

Senior Agriculture Development Officer                                                                         > 6 years                                                

·         Lead program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of agriculture extension program.

·         Supervise (technical/administrative) 49 staffs and financial management of > one million US$ annual budget.

·         Promotion of intensive rice farming including System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method.

·         Promotion of agriculture mechanization (small machines and agri-tools).

·         Program collaboration and coordination with GOs/NGOs/Private sector.

·         Lead different mission programs (fine and aromatic rice, stress-tolerant rice varieties promotion with IRRI, fish farming, commercial vegetables production, bee-keeping, mushroom farming, maize and soybean production, oilseed seed production)

·         Coordination and facilitation of agriculture production management, FFS approach and value-chain management trainings.

·         Promote drip irrigation, plastic ponds and plastic house for the off-season vegetable production within the district.

Regional Agriculture Training Centers, Eastern and Western Region, Nepal.                1.75 Year                         

Senior Agriculture Extension Training Officer

·         Coordination and facilitation of different type’s agriculture, climate change adaptation, Famers Field School TOT and value-chain management training conducted for the agriculture extension personals and farmers.

District Agriculture Development Offices, (Sunsari and Morang districts), Nepal.                                    

Agriculture Extension Officer                                                                                          10 years                       

·         Coordinator of Agriculture Extension/Agronomy program in Morang and Sunsari districts.

·         Edited more than 60 volumes of "Krishak ko Sathi" (farmers friend) a monthly newsletter published by DADO for more than five years.

·         Coordinated weekly agriculture radio program "Krishak Ko Chautari" broadcasted from local FM radio.

·         Leads System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Promotion Project awarded by the Nepal Development Marketplace 2005 Award organized by The World Bank. It was conducted in Morang and Panchthar (hill) districts and trained more than 2400 farmers and disseminate SRI nationwide.

·         Coordinated agriculture extension program of Second Sector Irrigation Project (SSIP), Shallow Tube-well Irrigation Project (CSTIP) and Sunsari Morang Irrigation Project (SMIP).

·         Desk-officer of CGISP (Community Ground water Irrigation Sector Project) agriculture program.

·         Advised and facilitated agriculture mechanization program by Buddha Air in Morang district

·         Farmers’ group formation and mobilization.  

Additional Experiences

Agriculture Research and Extension Project, Kathmandu, Nepal                                                          

Planning and Monitoring Officer                                                                                    One year

·         Program planning, monitoring and reporting at Project Coordinator Unit of World Bank funded (30 million US$) Agriculture Research and Extension Project (AREP). 

·         AREP introduced contract-out, collaborative and participatory extension approaches in Nepal which are still main approaches for several other projects in Nepal.

 

 

Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), Dhankuta, Nepal.                                              

Horticulture Scientist                                                                                                           4 Year                                       

·         Conduct trial on Fruit (especially citrus), nursery, and Fruit storage.

·         Fresh Vegetable and Vegetable seed production.

·         Potato seed production from TPS and tissue-culture mini tuber.

·         Research proposal writing and reporting.

·         Master trainer of horticulture training.

·         Citrus extension service in the command area of research station.

 

International Development Experience

UNDP, Zambia                                                                                                          

Irrigation Specialist                                                                                                        One Year

·         Project planning, guide and monitor project activities. 

·         Promoting viable innovative technology on irrigation and crop management. 

·         Produce irrigation management and crop management training materials.

·         Trained 64 government officers and more than 1124 farmers of southern province of Zambia on different irrigation management methods, water lifting devices and production technology of different crops (rice, maize and vegetables) in the context of climate change.

Wageningen University, the Netherlands

PhD Candidate                                                                                                                          >1.5 Years

·         Attained different courses/ international seminars and workshops

·         UG/Master level thesis supervised

·         Interdisciplinary study, Technographic approach of social study

·         Qualitative and quantities techniques (data collection and analysis)

Maejo University, Thailand

Agriculture Resource Management trainee                                                                 one month

·         Learn agriculture resource management

·         Organic farming

·         Thailand’s royal projects

·         OTOP (One Tambon One Product) program

 

Publications

Agricultural intensification in Nepal, with particular reference to systems of rice intensification. 2016. PhD dissertation. Wageningen University, the Netherlands

Knowledge and Skill for Change: Leasehold Vegetable Farming a Case Study of Landless Poor People from Nepal. 2016. Advances in Plants & Agriculture Research, Volume 4 Issue 4.

Underutilize irrigation water and vulnerable livelihood of small farmers in Zambia. Oral paper presented at 6th International Seminar on "Small Scale Irrigation Systems: Challenges to Sustainable Livelihood", Organized by the Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems Promotion Trust, Nepal, February 15-16, 2015 Kathmandu, Nepal

Getting the most nutritional value out of the farm. 2014. LEISA India, December 2014.

Farmers in focus: Nutrition from diversityFarming Matter, December 2014.

Hybridizing Technology: The case of rice farming in Nepal. 2013. Landscapes Blog for People, Food and Nature. 8th May 2013. http://blog.ecoagriculture.org/2013/05/08/sri_nepal/

Learning from farmers. 2013. Farming Matter 29.1, March 2013, The Netherlands.

Participatory learning for technology shaping and its dissemination: a case from Nepal. 2011. Extension Farming System Journal, Volume 7, Number 1, Australia.

Meshing mechanization with SRI methods for rice cultivation in Nepal. Oral paper presented at the 3rd International Rice Congress, 8-12 November 2010, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Irrigation management systems and their effect on agriculture and livelihood in Nepal. 2010. In the proceeding FMIS 5th International Seminar on Dynamics of Farmers Managed Irrigation Systems: Socio-institutional, Economic and Technical Contest. 25-26 March 2010, Kathmandu, Nepal.

• Krishak ko Sathi (Farmer's Friend) monthly Newsletter publish by District Agriculture Development Office, Morang (Editor) from 2003-2008.

• Several other technology booklets, posters, technical papers have been published in different magazines and newspapers.

 

Skills/Languages/Geographical Experience

Computer Skills: Microsoft office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher),Email/internet, SPSS

 

Languages: Nepali (mother tongue); English (fluent); Hindi (professional proficiency), Urdu.

 

Countries of Work Experience: Nepal, Zambia, Netherlands, Thailand, India, Australia, Vietnam, Laos, Belgium, France, Germany.  

 

Conference/Seminar attained

Agricultural Extension Reforms in South Asia–Status, Challenges, and Policy Options. Organized by IFPRI South-Asia, on February 17-18, 2015, NASC, Pusa, New Delhi, India.

4th International Rice Congress 2014. 27 October -1 November 2014, Bangkok, Thailand.

Workshop on Building Alliances around SRI and Agro-Ecology. Organized by Oxfam and SRI-Rice. 27-28 October 2014, at the Maple Hotel, in Bangna, Bangkok, Thailand.

5th World Conference on Conservation Agriculture. 26-29 September 2011, Brisbane, Australia.

3rd International Rice Congress 2010 on "Rice for Future Generation. 8-12 November 2010, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems (FMIS) Promotion Trust, Nepal 5th International Seminar on Dynamics of Farmers Managed Irrigation Systems: Socio-institutional, Economic and Technical Contest. 25-26 March 2010, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Open source biology’ and related legal, technological and development issues. 25 February 2008. Seminar presented by Prof. Jack R Kloppenburg, Rural Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wageningen University & RC, the Netherlands.

Enovation System in Agriculture and Beyond. 11 January 2008. Seminar organized at Wageningen University and Research Center, The Netherlands.

Discussion meeting world development report 2008 "Agriculture for Development". 18 December 2007. Wageningen International Center (WICC), Wageningen, the Netherlands.

Poverty traps and social protection. 28 November 2008. Seminar presented by Prof. Michael Carter, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wageningen University & RC, the Netherlands.

International Workshop on Water for Food in Pokhara, Nepal from May 5-10, 2007. Organize by Helvetas, Switzerland.

CPWF International Forum on Water and Food. 12-17 November 2006, Vientiane, Laos.

 

2nd International Rice Congress 2006, Organized by International Rice research Institute (IRRI), 9-13 October 2006, New Delhi, India.