Kathmandu, February 8

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) has formed a separate unit for the promotion and implementation of organic farming in the country. The ministry has decided to establish a separate unit for organic farming promotion based on the recommendation submitted by the task force formed to study possibilities and challenges of organic farming in the country, said Hari Bahadur KC, spokesperson for MoALD.

As per KC, the separate unit will initially focus on promotion of organic farming. Later, the ministry will establish Organic Farming Promotional Centre.

“Until the centre is established, the separate unit under supervision of MoALD will prepare projects for establishment of organic farming businesses across the country that is expected to help balance human health and the environment,” he said.

Along with that the unit will work on preparing new regulations to regulate such organic farming businesses and to amend existing rules if needed for the betterment of the industry.

The practice of organic farming will be promoted through this separate unit, KC added. The unit itself will prepare new commercial programmes and implement them to attract farmers towards organic farming business.

“The unit has a responsibility to monitor ongoing organic farming activities and will also contribute to making government procedures easier for those farmers interested to get engaged in organic farming with the government’s support,” KC said. “Soon other works related to organic farming will be taken forth.”

MoALD has finally addressed the recommendations seven months after the task force submitted its report. Aiming to turn country’s farming completely into organic farming, the ministry has introduced this project.