Govt committed to make Nepal self-reliant in agriculture in five years: Minister Khanal

‘NEPAL HAS BECOME SELF-DEPENDENT ON DAIRY PRODUCTS, EGGS, POULTRY, PORK AND GREEN VEGS’

KATHMANDU, Feb 5: Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Chakrapani Khanal ‘Baldev’ has said that the government is determined to make the country self-reliant in agriculture and livestock in five years.

“We have already become self-dependent in many aspects such as milk and dairy products, eggs, poultry, pork and green vegetables. The government is committed and working to make Nepal independent in Agriculture sector including livestock,” said Khanal at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Tuesday.

“We will be self-sufficient in goat farming within a few years,” he said.

“Nepal will be independent in fruits in the next five or six years,” he added.

Minister Khanal furthered that a task force is working to study and review on ways manage the government and international grant in agriculture sector.

Khanal also said that the government has already identified a place to build a center for organic agriculture farm. Similarly, the government is also preparing to build a model farm in Belaka municipality of Udayapur district.

He furthered that the government is planning is forward three major programs and 17 plans in the upcoming budget. “These programs will be a game changer that will make the country independent in five years,” he said.

The farmers will be distributed identity cares, social health cards and farmer welfare identity cards, according to Minister Khanal.

The government is also planning to prepare a roster from east to west with an aim to commercialize the products produced by the young farmers. “We have demanded the government to allocate Rs 50 million budget for this program,” he said.

The government is also planning to open a milk powder factory in Kohalpur, according to the agriculture minister.

Stating that the ministry has selected 14 super zones, 69 zones, some hundred blocks and some thousand pockets in order to remove the barrier to agriculture commercialization and mechanization in the country, he said that the super zones and zones are under center while the blocks and pockets have been handed over to the province.

“Now, the zones should be handed over to the province and blocks and pockets to the local government to make it more effective,” he said.

He, however, added that there are not enough staffs to operate these areas.