Pabitra Seeds, a women-owned private agribusiness based in Gurvakot, Surkhet (Province 6), was locally registered in 2016 as a Small Cottage Industry and nationally registered in late 2020 under The Companies Act in Kathmandu. The company specialises in seed production, marketing, and distribution, engaging farmers in seed multiplication while buying back their produce to sell under their own brand name. To ensure seed quality, Pabitra conducts multiple tests before bringing them to market and has received certification from the Seed Quality Control Centre (SQCC). The company produces a variety of seeds, including onion, tomato, carrot, spinach, radish, and beans, as well as flood and drought-resistant varieties. Pabitra operates in Gurvakot, Surkhet, and employs six full-time staff members, hiring around ten part-time staff per season based on demand.

Phase 1: Investment facilitation support for business expansion and marketing of quality vegetable seeds; and Phase 2: Empowering Seed Producers: Prioritising GESI and Climate Change Adaptation 

The CASA project comprised two phases. Phase 1 ran from August 2022 to March 2024 on a budget of £140,430 (£43,051 from CASA) and focused on investment facilitation for business expansion and marketing, while Phase 2 from March 2024 to May 2025 had an additional budget of £85,507 (with £34,210 from CASA) and empowered seed producers with a focus on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and climate change adaptation. The project expanded Pabitra’s operations and strengthened its supply chain by aggregating from more smallholder farmers and promoting quality home-grown seeds.

The project extension scaled up successful activities from Phase 1, providing climate adaptation and GESI training for an additional 1,295 smallholder producers for a total of 2,979. The earlier phase of partnership had increased the number of women working with Pabitra, enhancing their financial well-being. CASA provided both technical assistance and grants. Phase 1 reached 4,010 farmers, while Phase 2 added a further 1,922.

CASA’s partnership with Pabitra has delivered significant and tangible results in strengthening Nepal’s domestic seed sector. Pabitra established a new national distribution centre in Kathmandu and three collection centres in Dadeldhura, Salyan, and Banke to expand its operations. The partnership also helped redesign packaging of 40 varieties of vegetable seeds, which enhanced the company’s product visibility and market positioning. Perhaps most notably, Pabitra expanded its farmer base from 1,200 to 5,932 smallholder farmers, with more than 75 percent being women. This rapid scale-up exceeded farmer targets ahead of schedule and within budget, while simultaneously doubling company revenues from NPR 50 lakhs (£29,863) to NPR 1 crore (£59,727).

Building on these strong foundations, CASA extended support to focus on climate change adaptation and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). The project introduced farmers to flood- and drought-resistant seed varieties such as Arunchar (maize), Sukateen (paddy), and Shakti (wheat), strengthening their resilience against increasing climate risks. To deliver this, five Junior Technical Assistants trained by a climate expert under CASA facilitated high-quality training sessions for both new and existing farmers. In total, 1,922 new farmers received comprehensive training on seed production and climate adaptation, while 660 existing seed producers received specialised training on climate-resilient practices. Pabitra also developed a much-needed marketing and branding strategy and embraced digitalisation, both of which were made possible through CASA’s guidance and financial support.

CASA’s interventions with Pabitra Seeds have demonstrated how targeted investment and technical support can unlock growth for women-led agribusinesses operating in male-dominated sectors. The company is now better positioned to reduce Nepal’s dependence on imported seeds, which currently fulfil half of the national demand, and to strengthen the country’s domestic seed resilience and self-sufficiency. Networking visits to institutional customers, initially piloted under Phase 1 and successfully scaled in Phase 2, further opened new market opportunities for Pabitra. While CASA’s engagement has laid a strong foundation, further investment and development partner support will be critical to sustain and expand these achievements. Donors and investors can now build on this momentum by supporting Pabitra in advancing digital marketing, scaling climate-resilient seed production, and empowering even more rural women farmers, paving the way for a more inclusive and climate-smart seed sector in Nepal.

Updated: August 2025