KATHMANDU: A senior scientist at Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) today said there was the need to allocate more budget for research to explore new ideas and innovations in the field of agriculture.

Speaking at a function organised to bid him farewell, Bhola Man Singh Basnet, senior scientist and director of NARC’s planning and coordination department, said research in agriculture was crippled in the lack of enough financial resources.

“Research is the first and foremost need to improve the sector. Agricultural research and its dissemination should go hand in hand,” the retiring scientist said.

Of the total budget allocated for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, only 30 per cent budget was spent on research.

“Leaving the resource aside, we have very good coordination and communication with international agencies working in the field of agricultural research. All we need is the government’s attention and an increase in budget allocation,” Basnet said.

Dharmendra Jha, president, Federation of Nepali Journalists, said communicating research findings was vital.

Basnet has served the NARC for 37 years as a senior scientist and chief of communication, publication and documentation division.