Ramechhap, January 4:

Forest-product based industries in Ramechhap district are on the verge of closure due to lack of infrastructure and technical knowledge.

More than three dozen small-scale and cottage industries based on forest products are registered in the district but they are yet to start their operation due to fund crunch and lack of technical know-how.

Ramechhap being district with more forests, there is a vast scope for industries based on herbs.

Community Forest Users’ Association district president Narayan Karki said, “If these forest products could be harnessed to their optimum, the district would easily be rich. Two years ago, the association, District Development Committee and Swiss community project had discussed on how to harness the natural resources but nothing concrete has been materialised so far.”

The District Development Committee is levying tax on gathering of forest-products including herbs, tree-bark and shrubs. The district has community forest users’ groups in most of the 55 VDCs. Kathjor Community Forest Users’ Association president Kamal Bahadur Shrestha said the majority of people in the district are quite aware of the value of medicinal herbs and plants. “But they have not been able to take benefit out of them due to lack of technical knowledge, access to markets and infrastructure for processing the herbs,” he added.