Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) is going to cooperate with the government under the three pillar agricultural policy.
The NCC, which has launched an agricultural production campaign through the use of barren land, has proposed to cooperate from production to marketing through cooperation among the government, private sector and cooperatives.
The Chamber proposed to cooperate with Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mahindra Ray Yadav for self-reliant agriculture Wednesday.
On the occasion, Minister Yadav said that the government was committed to increase productivity in agriculture and create a farmer-friendly environment.
He said that the work could not be done as expected even though there was not enough budget in agriculture.
Minister Yadav said that he was taking initiative for a three pillar economy in agriculture and was working in the ministry to ensure a market for agricultural products.
He informed that the government is preparing to make arrangements from production, storage to marketing of the products produced by the farmers.
The Minister said that preparations are being made to bring greenhouses into operation to increase agricultural production in four provinces in the first phase.
NCC president Rajendra Malla said that marketing from agricultural production should be taken to the concept of cooperatives.
Malla said that it was unfortunate for the country to have an annual food import for consumption. Imports of rice, maize, vegetables, fruits, ghee, oil and sugar by keeping our own land barren have increased the trade deficit beyond the country’s capacity, said Malla.
Malla said, “If the government creates a conducive investment environment, the private sector is ready to invest in agriculture.”
“The state needs to support the marketing of farmers’ produce. The government needs to provide subsidies along with concessional loans to the farmers engaged in farming.”
On the occasion, the youths who had returned from Israel had talked to Minister Yadav about the problems they were facing in agricultural production in Nepal.
They also complained that there was a problem due to policy issues even though they tried to promote agriculture in Nepal by importing foreign technology and improved varieties.
Source : TRN,
