KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 26
Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Padma Kumari Aryal has said that preparations are underway to set up a one-door system to maintain database of all kinds of agriculture-related information. During an interaction with journalists today, Minister Aryal assured that the issue of lack of credible agricultural data will be addressed soon.
Minister Aryal said that the ministry is preparing to set up a one-door system named Agriculture Data Centre to systematise the scattered records in the agriculture sector. "Availability and handover of technology in the agriculture sector is another major issue. At present, only 20 per cent of the farmers are using technology and we have to increase this percentage," said Minister Aryal.
Minister Aryal further said that the practice of middlemen between farmers and market will be broken. She also assures that the farmers' census, which will begin very soon, will help the government to finalise the number of genuine farmers and to secure their rights.
Amid this, Minister Aryal also said that the government has moved ahead to find a long-term solution to the problem of fertilisers.
"We have come up with a long-term solution to the problem of lack of fertilisers along with the solution to problems facing farmers at present," she said. She also said that the government has come up with a plan to set up fertiliser warehouses in all seven provinces. The warehouses will be used to distribute fertilisers to farmers of respective provinces.
She also mentioned that a technical committee had been formed under an agreement with the Israeli government to introduce Israeli technology to the agricultural system here. As per her, the programme will be implemented in one province this year and gradually expanded to all seven provinces.
Stating that that Nepal is on the verge of becoming self-sufficient in eggs, meat and milk, Minister Aryal said, "In order to regulate the livestock farming sector, the ministry is working on several policies that will be endorsed very soon."
Speaking on the occasion, Livestock Secretary at the MoALD Prem Narayan Kandel said that the ministry is preparing to make public the achievements during the three-month period since Minister Aryal took office.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 27, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
