In this paper traditional farming systems practised in the Middle Hills of Nepal including the major components of the systems, their uses, interactions and management practices are described. Prospects for, and the implications of, improvements to the systems are examined. Farming in the Middle Hills of Nepal has developed into a complex system, with most farmers depending on crops, livestock and forest for their livelihood. The stability of the system depends on the interdependent balance of these components of which the forest is an integral part. Recently rapid human population growth exacerbated by high livestock population  in conjunction with social and economic constraints has created severe problems. Forests increasingly are mined to meet the basic requirements for fodder, fuelwood, leaf-litter and timber. This has resulted in gradual but  inevitable breakdown of these fragile but previously sustainable hill farming systems. High input means of sustaining land productivity have often been inappropriate for farming communities of low economic status. There are strong indications that the sectoral approach to natural resource management fails to appreciate the interrelated nature of these resource production systems. However, Pakhribas Agricultural Centre through its integrated and multidisciplinary approach has achieved some positive progress towards finding solutions to problems specific to the region.

In this paper traditional farming systems practised in the Middle Hills of Nepal including the major components of the systems, their uses, interactions and management practices are described. Prospects for, and the implications of, improvements to the systems are examined. Farming in the Middle Hills of Nepal has developed into a complex system, with most farmers depending on crops, livestock and forest for their livelihood. The stability of the system depends on the interdependent balance of these components of which the forest is an integral part. Recently rapid human population growth exacerbated by high livestock population  in conjunction with social and economic constraints has created severe problems. Forests increasingly are mined to meet the basic requirements for fodder, fuelwood, leaf-litter and timber. This has resulted in gradual but  inevitable breakdown of these fragile but previously sustainable hill farming systems. High input means of sustaining land productivity have often been inappropriate for farming communities of low economic status. There are strong indications that the sectoral approach to natural resource management fails to appreciate the interrelated nature of these resource production systems. However, Pakhribas Agricultural Centre through its integrated and multidisciplinary approach has achieved some positive progress towards finding solutions to problems specific to the region.