Kathmandu, July 31:

Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Mahantha Thakur today said biotechnology could be harnessed for sustainable agricultural development.

The minister said this in his speech read out by secretary of the Agriculture Ministry, Ganesh KC, at a two-day workshop on Rice Biotechnology, jointly organised by Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) and Gothenburg University of Sweden, here today. Thakur said Nepal has not been able to invest significantly in biotechnology research because of the complexity and costs associated with it. He said efforts should be made to combat micronutrient malnutrition in developing countries like Nepal to provide vitamin and mineral supplements for needy people such as pregnant women and young children.

At the function, Dr Jorge Mayer of the University of Freiburg, Germany, presented a paper on Pro-vitamin and other Micronutrient Deficiencies with Golden Rice. Around 80 scientists from 36 national and international organisations are participating in the workshop that would also discuss on cold tolerance, rice blast disease, process of bio-control and golden rice.

Biotechnology can help in the long-term conservation and utilisation, rapid development of disease and insect resistant and high yielding varieties and reduce the use of pesticides.