Bajura, February 28

District Agriculture Development Office is planning to implement food security strategy to mitigate acute food crisis in Bajura.

Dr Ramkrishna Shrestha, Chief at DADO, said his office was preparing a security strategy to improve food and nutrition security by increasing production of food and agro-materials. Shrestha said that strategy was aimed at increasing agro products and reducing dependency.

Strategic planning will stress on integrating the investment scattered in agriculture sector. Shrestha said that the new planning would contribute to increased access to food and nutrition.

“If we can work as per the plan, we can overcome the challenges brought about by drought, flood, and landslide on food and nutrition”, Dr Shrestha said.

Bajura is ranked as one of the most food insecure districts. The district has shortage of around 9,000 tonnes of food in a year, according to Shrestha.

Data at DADO showed that 24 per cent population was suffering from food crisis.

A report presented by government agencies and non-governmental organisations affiliated to Nepal Food Security System showed that 60 to 80 per cent population of remote VDCs of Rugin, Sappata, Wai, Jukot, Gotri, Dahakot, among others, had not got enough food to fill their stomach.

Only 4.4 per cent population can survive on the production from local agricultural cultivation. The state of nutrition is very miserable.