KATHMANDU: Japan will extend food aid worth US$7.60 million to Nepal. Japan’s ambassador to Nepal Tatsuo Mizuno and Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal signed the food aid agreement during a function here today. The assistance is provided with the basic objective of enabling the Nepal government to procure rice and supply it to food deficit districts. Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) is to distribute it through its national distribution network. Japan, being a development partner to Nepal, has been providing it food aid for the last several years. Food aid is one of the oldest schemes of the government of Japan, and as of Japan’s fiscal year 2009, the government of Japan has cumulatively extended food aid to Nepal worth 8.94 billion yen. Ambassador Muzino hoped that the extended food assistance would help the government of Nepal address the urgent need in food deficit districts and ease the difficulties felt by local people in their daily life. He added that it would thus further contribute to the progress of the peace process in Nepal.