The insurgency has taken a heavy toll on Nepal's agriculture. A six-month long research conducted by the Centre for Economic and Social Development among 23,000 displaced farmers from 53 districts showed:
. 200,000 farmers were displaced in the mid-western region, 100,000 in the far-west, and 32,000 in the east.
. Forty-three percent of them were forced to migrate when their lives were threatened, 31 percent left to avoid extortion from the rebels and 18 percent were targeted for alleged political affiliations. Five percent left after their properties were destroyed and three percent migrated after disagreeing to community farming introduced by the Maoists.
. 20 percent of the displaced had migrated to Kathmandu, 15 percent to Surkhet, 10 percent to Banke, 10 percent to Morang and 9 percent to Kailali. Almost 63 percent of them are now living in rented quarters, while the rest found refuge with relatives.
. One quarter of the displaced are still making their livelihood from the farms they left behind, another quarter earn their livelihood from employment in the formal sector, while 21 percent are living off loans, and 15 percent have begun small businesses. Four percent earn their living from daily wages and 2 percent live on government allowances.
. Forty-four percent of the displaced have allowed other farmers to till their land, 30 percent rented out the land and 14 percent have left their land without supervision.
. The number of those engaged in dairy farming is down from 85 percent to 29 percent. Similarly, 10 percent of the respondent grew fruits, 5 percent had fisheries and other agriculture based industries. Almost all of it was wiped out after their displacement.
. Worst hit is agriculture-based small industries-so far 215 such small-scale
industries have closed down.