SINDHULI: Minister of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives, Chakrapani Khanal, has said agriculture has not been in the priority of the state so far.

He was speaking at a press meet organised by the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Sindhuli branch here today. He stated that the country would enter an unfortunate situation if agriculture was not prioritised.

The agriculture minister also underlined the need of a new type of mobilisation in the agriculture sector to retain hundreds of thousands of youths who are leaving the country to work in foreign countries by generating employment for them at home.

Stating that 67 per cent of the people in the country are engaged in the agriculture sector, he said agriculture should be prioritised for fulfilling the goal of ‘Happy Nepali, Prosperous Nepal’.

He opined that more employment could be generated in the country in agriculture, energy and tourism sectors, and the bodies under his ministry were working to that end.

“The government is committed to gradually transforming the traditional mode of agriculture, managing land and commercialising agriculture through modernisation and developing group farming practices as well as managing subsidies in the agriculture sector,” he said.