Kathmandu, November 29

The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) has unveiled an ambitious plan to be self-reliant within two years from next fiscal 2016-17 and announced various programmes to lure youths in the agriculture sector.

To boost agriculture production in the country, the government has been planning to develop 1,000 to 1,500 pocket areas of specific agriculture products or livestock farming by attracting investment from private sector and cooperatives, which is expected to create substantial employment in the country.

MoAD has also announced grants and subsidised loans for farmers who live close to the pocket areas to develop a similar type of agriculture product or livestock in those areas. MoAD has planned to invest in 20 per cent of the

programme and is expecting 40 per cent each from the private sector and cooperatives to develop pocket areas of agriculture production and livestock farming.

“With the vision of ‘one area, one product’, the government will initiate development of 500 pocket areas from next fiscal,” said Haribol Prasad Gajurel, minister for Agricultural Development. He expressed hope that the country will not only be self-reliant within two years but also be able to export agriculture products.

The ministry has also announced of providing agriculture extension services, irrigation facilities, road network, access to

finance, and lowering tariff on the import of agriculture inputs for mechanisation and commercialisation of agriculture sector to achieve its target within the stipulated timeframe.

Minister Gajurel also said that his ministry will initiate a collective approach to mobilise resources being spent at present through various government and non-government projects/programmes in a haphazard manner. “Only if the projects/programmes of similar objectives start working collectively to attain their common goal in agriculture sector, will we be able to produce good results.”

The MoAD will expand ‘Kisan Card’ — identity card for farmers — distribution programme which was initiated as a pilot programme in a few districts across the country. The Department of Agriculture has been distributing Kisan Card to the farmers under four different categories — commercial, subsistence, marginalised/landless and agriculture workers.

Minister Gajurel said that the grant and subsidy to farmers will be distributed based on the level of farmers as categorised on the Kisan Card and his ministry will arrange pension or social security scheme to safeguard farmers and lure people in the agriculture sector.

The minister also announced to establish the required labs for the quality certification of agriculture products and increase fund for agricultural research and human resource development. The ministry will make insurance mandatory to obtain subsidised agriculture loans that the government initiated last fiscal.

Minister Gajurel assured that the ‘One Village Development Committee, One Agri Technician’ programme announced through the fiscal budget will be fully implemented. The fiscal budget 2015-16 has announced that government will appoint one agri technician for crop and livestock in alternative neighbouring VDCs in 3,000 VDCs. MoAD also announced it will establish National Farmers’ Commission for welfare of farmers and sustainable development of agriculture sector.

For the immediate relief of farmers hit by the quakes, the MoAD has been planning to distribute livestock (cow), agriculture inputs, fertilisers, quality seeds, and develop sheds as grant to bring farmers, who lost their properties in the

earthquakes of April and May this year, back to the agriculture sector.