Kathmandu, May 29 :

Japan has provided 8,282 metric tonnes of rice worth Rs 233 million to Nepal under food aid grant KR-4 of Japan’s fiscal year 2004.

Tsutomo Hiraoka, Japanese ambassador to Nepal, handed over the documents for the said amount of rice to Bharat Bahadur Thapa, secretary at the ministry of industry, commerce and supplies at a function held at the premises of Nepal Food Corporation (NFC), on Monday.

The food aid handed over today was procured as per the provisions made in the exchange of note signed between the governments of Nepal and Japan in April 2004. Under this agreement Japan had extended a total of 350 Japanese yen for the purchase of rice and transportation cost.

On the occasion, Japanese envoy Hiraoka expressed hope that the rice handed over would help ease the problem of food deficit in targeted regions, benefiting needy people living in the mountains and remote areas of Nepal.

Japan has been extending food aid to Nepal since 1970. So far, it has provided food aid to Nepal 17 times, totalling 73,800 metric tonnes of rice and 24,300 metric tonnes of wheat worth about 6.65 billion Japanese yen, he informed.

Khel Bahadur Shrestha, general manager of NFC, informed the rice procured with the grant assistance of Japan has already arrived at four storage centres of the corporation located at Nepalgunj, Surkhet, Birgunj and Kathmandu. “The rice delivered to Surkhet and Nepalgunj will be supplied to the country’s most food deficit districts in mid-western and far-western regions, including Karnali zone,” he added.

Shrestha further said that NFC is facing a challenge to meet the surging demands for more and more foodgrain from many hilly districts. “Due to unfavourable weather and a long winter drought this year, many mountain districts are likely to face an acute food shortage,” he cautioned.

Foodgrains to districts which lack road access such as Jumla, Humla, Mugu, Kalikot and Dolpa in Karnali and Bajhang and Bajura in Seti zone have been airlifted. Punya Prasad Neupane, chairman of NFC and joint secretary at MoICS, requested the Japanese government to utilise some money of counterpart fund on transportation of foodgrains and building infrastructure like storages in strategic locations.

“Since transportation is a major reason for food insecurity in mountain and hilly districts, infrastructure development will pave the way for sustainable and long-term food security,” he said.