KATHMANDU, MAY 29
The government has allocated Rs 57.48 billion for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83.
Presenting the budget at the joint session of the federal parliament on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel announced that the funds will support programs ranging from fertilizer subsidies and promotion of organic farming to pilot projects for controlling wild animals harmful to agriculture.
Priority has been given to agricultural insurance, promotion of Chaite rice farming, small irrigation projects, and commercial farming of fruits, vegetables, and livestock along major highways and corridors. Programs targeting high-hill crops like apples, walnuts, and maize, as well as the conservation of indigenous seeds and crops, will also receive significant attention.
Further priorities include promoting organic farming, improving soil health, and boosting entrepreneurship in the agriculture sector. The budget also supports meat export through livestock development, disease control programs, and genetic improvement of animals.
Key initiatives include the "One Village, One Technician" scheme for local-level technical staffing, pesticide monitoring and awareness campaigns, and construction of market infrastructure such as cold storage and processing facilities. The government will also implement a minimum support price policy 15 days before sowing begins.
Efforts will be made to increase production of export-oriented crops such as tea, coffee, cardamom, and churpi, with support for organic certification and export facilitation. Agricultural, livestock, and food laboratories will also be upgraded, and fallow land will be brought under productive use.
