Madhesh Food Forum 2025: Madhesh can feed the nation

Welcome to the Madhesh Food Forum 2025, a landmark event taking place at Madhesh Province. The Madhesh Food Forum 2025 is organized to bring fresh ideas, energy, and partnerships to agriculture in the province. At this event, youth, farmers, business leaders, government officials, researchers, and development partners will come together to learn from each other and work towards a better future for all. It builds on the momentum of the Nepal Investment Summit 2024 and preparatory dialogues like the Nepal Food Forum and HIH Investment Forum and aligns with FAO’s Hand-in-Hand (HIH) Initiative.

The forum’s main goals are to empower and inspire youth to become leaders and innovators in agriculture; promote new technologies and smart practices for more resilient farming; attract investment to help local agribusiness and food systems grow; support cooperation, policy dialogue, and strong partnerships for lasting change; and ensure that agricultural development is fair, inclusive of women and marginalized communities, and ready for the challenges of climate change.

By uniting these diverse voices and ideas, the Madhesh Food Forum 2025 aims to create new opportunities, unlock the province’s full potential, and make sure everyone in Madhesh benefits from a modern, secure, and sustainable food system.

Madhesh Province plays a vital role in Nepal’s agrifood system, contributing over 13 percent to the national GDP and drawing more than a third of its own GDP from agriculture. With fertile Terai plains and strong rural economies, the province is a key driver in Nepal’s Decade of Agriculture Investment (2024–2034), emphasizing sustainability, nutrition security, and inclusive development. Recent improvements in cultivated land, access to finance, and rural banking reflect the region’s readiness for agribusiness growth and innovation.

The Madhesh Food Forum 2025 supports these efforts by creating a platform where youth entrepreneurs, cooperatives, private sector investors, and policy actors can collaborate on inclusive and climate-smart strategies. With a strong focus on gender equity, indigenous participation, and science-based solutions, the Forum aims to amplify Madhesh’s voice in national and global food system dialogues, helping to ensure a more resilient, secure, and inclusive agrifood future.

Learn More About The Event

Our Speakers and Panelists, MFF 2025

Key Speakers

Hon’ble Satish Kumar Singh

Chief Minister, Madhesh Province

Hon’ble Satish Kumar Singh, Chief Minister of Madhesh Province and Provincial Assembly representative from Saptari-2(A). He previously led as Chairman of Tilathi Koiladi Rural Municipality from 2017 to 2022 and now heads a coalition government. Leveraging experience in governance reforms and local capacity-building, he is dedicated to strengthening provincial institutions and advancing socio-economic development through technical and administrative efficiency.

Hon’ble Janardan Singh Kshetri

Minister for Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives, Madhesh Province

Hon’ble Janardan Singh Kshetri, Minister for Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives of Madhesh Province and Provincial Assembly member representing Parsa–3(B). He was appointed to his cabinet role on July 18, 2024, after being elected in the 2022 provincial elections. With professional expertise in agricultural policy and sustainable land use, he is committed to promoting eco-friendly farming practices—such as the shift from chemical to organic fertilizers—and strengthening cooperative networks among local farmers.

Hon’ble Sunil Kumar Yadav

Minister of Finance, Madhesh Province

Hon’ble Sunil Kumar Yadav, Minister of Finance of Madhesh Province and member of the Provincial Assembly representing Rautahat–3(B). He has previously served as a member of the Constituent Assembly and the Legislature Parliament. With a background in political science (also studied engineering), he brings a strong grasp of fiscal policy and budgeting, and is committed to promoting transparent public finance and local economic development.

Dan Gustafson

Special Advisor, FAO DG

Dan Gustafson, Special Representative of the Director-General at the FAO, previously served as FAO’s Deputy Director-General for Programmes from 2012 to 2020. With over 40 years of experience leading country-level operations in places like Kenya, Somalia, India, and Bhutan, he is skilled in bridging science with policy to advance food security, nutrition, and sustainable agricultural transformation.

Ken Shimizu

FAO Representative for Bhutan and Nepal

Mr Ken Shimizu is the FAO Country Representative for Nepal since July 2021. Prior to this appointment, Mr Shimizu worked as the FAO Representative for Papua New Guinea since 2013. Ken has 24 years of experience in food security, agricultural and rural development, natural resources management, climate change, disaster risk reduction and emergency coordination, primarily with FAO and other UN agencies in Asia and the Pacific as well as the Caribbean.

Panel Discussions

Panel 1: Madhesh's Agricultural Policy: Transformation and Prosperity

Ganesh Raj Joshi

Presenter, Panel 1

Ganesh Raj Joshi is a presenter for Panel 1, focusing on Madhesh's agricultural policy transformation and prosperity at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Kiran Acharya

Moderator, Panel 1

Kiran Acharya is the moderator for Panel 1, guiding discussions on Madhesh's agricultural policy transformation and prosperity at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Dr. Umesh Dahal

Secretary, MoLMAC, Madhesh Province

Dr. Umesh Dahal, Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture & Cooperatives (MoLMAC), Madhesh Province. As a senior civil servant, he oversees policy coordination on land, agriculture, and cooperative sectors across the province. He previously served as Director General of the national Department of Livestock Services, leading innovation in veterinary and flood preparedness programs.

Dr. Hari Bahadur K.C.

Joint Secretary, MoALD

Dr. Hari Bahadur K.C. is the Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), Government of Nepal. He holds an MSc and Ph.D. in Crop Protection and Pesticide Management from Ghent University, Belgium, and is known for his research in nematology and genetic diversity of crops like mango.

Hon’ble Prahlad Kumar Chhetri

Mayor, Bardibas Municipality

Hon’ble Prahlad Kumar Chhetri is the Mayor of Bardibas Municipality in Mahottari District, serving since 2022. Known for his commitment to community welfare, he has directed government resources toward social initiatives like the Bardibas Red Cross Blood Bank and ‘Hamro Maya Ghar’ for vulnerable populations.

Hon’ble Jibachi Kumari Yadav

Member of Provincial Assembly, Madhesh Province

Hon’ble Jibachi Kumari Yadav, Member of the Provincial Assembly of Madhesh Province. She serves her term following election to the 2nd Madhesh Provincial Assembly that began in January 2023. With experience chairing FAO-supported events on women’s empowerment in agriculture, she is committed to advancing gender-responsive agricultural policies and strengthening access to resources and capacity-building for women farmers across the province.

Panel 2: Investment in Agriculture: Where and How?

Deepak Ratna Tuladhar

Presenter, Panel II

Deepak Ratna Tuladhar is a presenter for Panel II, focusing on investment in agriculture at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025, representing FAO.

Neha Sah Teli

Moderator, Panel II

Neha Sah Teli is the moderator for Panel II, guiding discussions on investment in agriculture at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025, representing FAO.

Pradeep Dutta

Executive Director, FNCCI Madhesh

Ashika Giri

CNI Madhesh

Ashika Giri is a representative of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) in Madhesh Province, contributing to initiatives that promote industrial growth and sustainable economic development in the region.

Shreekanta Yadav

Panelist

Shreekanta Yadav is a panelist contributing valuable insights to discussions on agricultural investment and economic development at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Bijay Sarawagi

Investor

Bijay Kumar Sarawagi is a business leader and former Mayor of Birgunj Metropolitan City, whose term began in September 2017 and included service during the COVID‑19 pandemic response. He later resigned and ran for re‑election under the CPN‑UML banner after transitioning from the Federal Socialist Forum. Drawing on his entrepreneurial background—he helped expand the family’s Sarawagi Group, including founding Birgunj Finance—he brings strong financial acumen and commitment to urban development and resilient public services.

Panel 3: Agriculture, Youth, and Innovation: Economic Growth and Opportunities

Sonali Sah

Presenter, Panel 3

Sonali Sah is a presenter for Panel 3, focusing on agriculture, youth, and innovation at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025, highlighting opportunities for economic growth.

Richa Sah

Moderator, Panel 3

Richa Sah is the moderator for Panel 3, guiding discussions on agriculture, youth, and innovation at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025, representing PMAMP Dhanusha.

Hira Saru Magar

Agripreneur

Hira Saru Magar is an agripreneur contributing to youth-led enterprises and innovations in agriculture, sharing insights on overcoming barriers at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Ramdhyan Mandal

Youth Agri-entrepreneur

Ramdhyan Mandal is a youth agri-entrepreneur driving innovation in agriculture, contributing to discussions on youth-led technologies at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Dr. Shila Mishra

Member, PPC Madhesh

Dr. Shila Mishra, a member of the Province Policy and Planning Commission (PPC) in Madhesh Province, contributes to regional economic development strategies at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Arbind Sah

IT Expert

Arbind Sah is an IT expert contributing to the integration of digital tools in agriculture at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Dr. Saroj Chaudhary

MoLMAC Madhesh

Dr. Saroj Chaudhary, representing MoLMAC Madhesh, discusses agricultural policy and innovation at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Panel 4: Mechanization in Agriculture: The Foundation of Change

Jeet Chand

Senior Agri Engineer

Dr. Jeet B. Chand, Senior Agricultural Engineer with Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock Development under the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernization Project. He holds a Ph.D. in Water Resources Engineering and Management from the University of South Australia and a Bachelor’s in Agricultural Engineering from Tribhuvan University . Dr. Chand serves as President of the Nepalese Society of Agricultural Engineers, participates in the Institute of Engineering’s subject committee (2023–2026), and acts as an editorial reviewer for international journals. With deep expertise in precision irrigation, mechanization, and climate‑smart agricultural infrastructure, he is committed to scaling sustainable, resilient agri‑innovations across Nepal.

Pragya Devkota

World Food Forum Nepal

Pragya Devkota is a representative of the World Food Forum (WFF) Nepal Chapter, contributing to discussions on youth engagement and agricultural innovation at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Ramnath Jha

National Agricultural Machinery Testing and Research Center NARC

Ramnath Jha is a representative of the National Agricultural Machinery Testing and Research Center (NARC), providing expertise on farm machinery innovations at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Ram Kumari Chaudhary

Farmer

Ram Kumari Chaudhary is a farmer sharing practical insights on agricultural practices and challenges at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Jitendra Yadav

Directorate of Agriculture, Madhesh

Jitendra Yadav is a representative of the Directorate of Agriculture, Madhesh, discussing agricultural development and policy implementation at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Rajendra Prasad JamKattel

Sana Kisan Krishi Sahakari

Rajendra Prasad JamKattel is a representative of Sana Kisan Krishi Sahakari, Dumarbana Bara, focusing on agricultural cooperatives and custom hiring centers at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Yashoda Nepali

FAO

Panel 5: Farmers, Agri-extension, Federal System: Gaps and Opportunities

Roshan Kumar Mehata

Moderator, Panel V

Roshan Kumar Mehata is the moderator for Panel V, guiding discussions on farmers, agri-extension, and federal systems at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025, representing MoLMAC.

Alok Khatri

Head of Education Outreach, NAAMII

Alok Khatri is the Head of Education Outreach at the Nepal Academy for Advanced Mixed-Initiative Intelligence (NAAMII), where he designs and leads AI-focused workshops, masterclasses, and community initiatives, including the Annual Nepal AI School with over 550 participants from 20+ countries. Holding an MSc in Data Science and ICF‑accredited business coach certification, he combines data-driven expertise with strategic coaching to build high-impact AI talent pipelines across academia, government, and industry.

Jivan Kumar Mahato

Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Bara

Bhagwan Thakur

MAU Rajbiraj

Dr. Baidyanath Mahato

Vice Chancellor, MAU

Dr. Baidyanath Mahato is the Vice Chancellor of Madhesh Agricultural University (MAU), with a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, focusing on crop improvement and climate-smart agriculture at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Mr. Binod bhattarai

DDG DOA

Jageswor Yadav

Livestock Directorate, Madhesh

Jageswor Yadav is a representative of the Livestock Directorate, Madhesh, discussing livestock development and agricultural policy at the Madhesh Food Forum 2025.

Mamata Mahato

Vice Mayor, Parsa Sugauli RM

Mamata Mahato is the Vice Mayor of Paterwa Sugauli Rural Municipality in Parsa, Nepal. She champions gender equality and sustainable agriculture, focusing on community-led solutions and grassroots governance to empower local farmers and promote inclusive development in her region.