KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 3

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Beduram Bhusal has said that the country's economy can be strengthened only by increasing production and exports.

Speaking at the digital inauguration of the agriculture structure of Muktinath Krishi Cotoday, Minister Bhusal said that agriculture is the backbone of the country and that increasing production and export potential of the country is a sure shot way to improving the country's economic situation. He also mentioned that the irrigation is biggest issue at hand for the expansion of the agriculture sector as not even half of the country's arable land is irrigated.

Agriculture Secretary Govinda Prasad Sharma said that preparations are underway to submit the Agriculture Bill to the Parliament for proper management of the sector.

Vice-President of National Planning Commission Min Bahadur Shrestha said that to strengthen the economy, the first thing to do is to increase the use of arable land. He also shared that while the commission had also taken necessary steps to improve the agriculture sector which has yielded some positive results as well as an increase in production capacity among others, the country still lags behind in terms of agriculture development when looked at our prospects and needs.

He stressed the need for new interventions in the agriculture sector by the private sector as well as farmers.

Shrestha also said that the sector cannot be sustainable unless agriculture is viewed as a profitable business model. 'The reason why youths are not getting involved in the agriculture sector is that it is not seen as a profitable business,' he said.

Ken Shimizu, country representative for Nepal and Bhutan for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said that it was very encouraging to see the company supporting the farmers in terms of business innovation and agro chain development as well as agricultural innovations.

'I also want to thank the company because we have already collaborated in celebrating the international year of millet. We have initiatives supporting the government of Nepal in agri-business promotion, agri-chain development, and digital agriculture innovations. We are looking forward to strengthening our partnership with the company in strengthening the Public Private Community Partnership (PPCP) model,' he said.

The Muktinath Krisi Company, on its fifth annual day, launched five agriculture structures for the promotion and development of the company.

The company has launched a chain of centres under the PPCP model, including the Agriculture Resource Centre, Agro Processing Centre, Agriculture Market Centre, and Agriculture Business Consultation Centre across all seven provinces.

The company has also announced the operation of the Farmer Centre of Excellence in Chitwan and Syanja. Also, under the heading 'Krisak Sanga Muktinath,' the company has announced to bring a call centre into operation, and an Agriculture Business Guidance Centre to assist farmers.

A mobile application - Muktinath Krisi - was also launched during the programme, which will further assist in the skill development of the farmers, their production, and overall development of the sector as a whole.

A version of this article appears in the print on September 04, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.