‘Farmers need to earn enough to survive’

KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 11

Agriculture Minister Ghanashyam Bhusal has stated that unless farmers can set aside some savings from their earnings for their survival agriculture development is uncertain. For the agriculture sector to develop farmers have to feel secure about their future while being involved in it where they can earn and save some money, he said while addressing a week-long event organised by the Alliance of Agriculture for Food (AAF) on the occasion of the 40th World Food Day.

“Saving for farmers does not mean they have to earn a lot of money. What it means is that they have to earn enough for their survival by being involved in agriculture,” the minister said, adding, “If the agriculture profession cannot provide a secure future to farmers then development of the sector is not possible.”

Minister Bhusal further said that the ministry is working on policies and regulations for the betterment of the sector.

“We are preparing agriculture act and policy as well as collecting database on farmers.

This will definitely help us to control existing irregularities and to practise good governance in the agriculture sector,” he said. “The agriculture sector of the country has steadily deteriorated in the last 40 years as we have become overly dependent on imported goods,” he stated.

For so many years the country has remained dependent on foreign countries for agriculture goods which was been a very big mistake, Bhusal mentioned. “Instead of just looking at foreign practices we first need to study how the country’s agriculture sector is working. Why do farmers have to destroy their produces and why are we not following our own practices in the agriculture sector,” he said, adding, “As everybody has become profit oriented organic agriculture has been overshadowed.” Thus, he assured that the government will now resolve all these burning issues.

Similarly, speaking during the opening session, Director General of Department of Agriculture Govinda Sharma said that native agricultural produces need to be promoted for the development of the agriculture sector. “Sustainable development for our agriculture sector has now become challenging and we have to work with our own resources to develop this sector and make it independent,” he said. “Our focus is now on making this sector independent and creating jobs for many people.”

Meanwhile, Chairperson of AAF Udhav Adhikari said that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the perception of people towards the agriculture sector. People have now become more aware about the sector and most of them who had earlier quit are returning to this profession.

Thus, the pandemic has sort of been like a blessing in disguise for the agriculture sector.

“Taking advantage of this situation we have to make this trend last long for the sustainable development of the agriculture industry,” he added.