The agricultural ecosystem in Nepal is at a nascent stage. People are just beginning to realize that agriculture can also be a viable business endeavor. However, this transition from subsistence to commercialization is hindered by a shortage of human resources with a comprehensive understanding of both agriculture and business management.
Our survey has shown that more than 90% of agribusinesses struggle to survive in the first two years. Further study indicates that this is primarily due to a combination of factors, including a lack of financial literacy, market understanding, supply chain management, and familiarity with compliance and legal issues. Consequently, many who embark on agribusiness ventures with enthusiasm and vigor are met with overwhelming failure.
At King’s College, entrepreneurship is the cornerstone of our academic philosophy. We believe that the teaching and learning process should prepare students to tackle real-world issues, whether in business or professional contexts. This is especially true in agriculture, which is an essential foundation of our curriculum. Our goal with this course is to provide agribusiness entrepreneurs, or those in training, with the resources, network, knowledge, and practical understanding that agribusiness requires.
This course is designed for individuals who are eager to venture into agribusiness, whether as entrepreneurs, consultants, professionals in the field, agribusiness financiers, or agriculture practitioners, among others. An in-depth prior knowledge of the technical aspects of agriculture is not necessary. Instead of focusing on the technical and operational aspects, this course is geared towards initiating and managing agribusiness operations.
Brief Details About the Specific Courses:
Courses and Major Learning Objectives
- Introduction to Agribusiness Management
- Understanding agribusiness.
- Identifying the major challenges of agribusinesses in Nepal.
- Exploring the potential or untapped opportunities in Nepalese agribusiness.
- Grasping the fundamentals of agribusiness management and comparing them with other types of business management.
- Agribusiness Financing
- Defining what it means to finance an agribusiness venture.
- Exploring the different avenues for agribusiness financing in Nepal.
- Discussing traditional and contemporary methods of financing agribusiness ventures.
- Learning about the financial tools needed for efficient operations.
- Understanding the major financial challenges companies face.
- Agricultural Innovation for Development
- Examining modern agricultural practices.
- Introducing new tools, techniques, and machinery.
- Understanding the relationship between innovation and operational efficiencies.
- Learning how to sustain and scale operations.
- Studying the most commercially successful agricultural innovations.
- Rural Marketing and Sustainability
- Comparing rural marketing to conventional marketing.
- Analyzing the market, consumption patterns, and communication methods in rural settings.
- Creating operationally sustainable ventures.
- Agribusiness Environment and Policy
- Understanding the policies governing agribusiness in Nepal.
- Studying the agribusiness ecosystem.
- Identifying the major stakeholders, such as suppliers, buyers, and aggregators.
- Recognizing policy or implementation gaps that need addressing.
- Learning how to comply with agricultural policies.
- Food Processing Management
- Examining the food processing industry in Nepal.
- Identifying the major operational challenges.
- Developing efficient production lines.
- Learning about the major market players and the supply chain.
- Farm Management
- Understanding the philosophy of farm management.
- Planning and envisioning your farm's layout, infrastructure, and controls.
- Enhancing farm operation efficiency.
- Delving into the operational, financial, and technical aspects of farm management.
- Supply Chain Management
- Linking produce to the market effectively.
- Understanding the most relevant post-harvest practices.
- Addressing key challenges in the supply chain.
- Identifying key players in the process of delivering goods from farms to buyers.
- Exploring modern infrastructural innovations and practices in the supply chain.
In addition to core courses and subject-specific courses, we offer various modules that facilitate practical learning. Modules are open-ended and are initiated by management based on current industry needs or by students seeking to learn about new practices. Currently, we offer/are looking to offer the following modules:
- Securing venture financing for your agribusiness.
- Accounting software for a better understanding of your business's financial performance.
- Modern post-harvest practices.
We collaborate closely with leading industry practitioners through resource exchanges, internships, job opportunities, investment procurement, and learning partnerships. Some of the major companies/organizations we work with in the agricultural sector include:
- Muktinath Agro Company Limited
- Delish Dairies Private Limited
- Nabil Bank Ltd
- Siddhartha Feeds Limited
