KATHMANDU: The Government of Japan has agreed to extend Rs 324.8 million in grant to Nepal for the implementation of Food Assistance Programme.

Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Shankar Prasad Adhikari and the Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Masashi Ogawa signed the exchange of notes today at a programme in the Ministry of Finance on behalf of the respective governments.

The fund is aimed at supporting the food security programme in Nepal and shall be used for the purchase of food products and services necessary for the implementation of the programme.

The government of Japan is providing the grant for the purpose of ensuring food security in remote areas of Nepal, where scarcity of food is common, and which especially occurs during the times of natural disasters like earthquake and flood, among others.

Last year’s flood had negatively affected the agriculture sector of the country. The grant is intended to prevent such scarcity of food items brought about by natural causes that cannot be controlled.

According to a press note issued by the Ministry of Finance, the grant shall also be used for purchase of rice and its transportation.

It is said that the Ministry of Supplies will be the executing agency while the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) will be responsible for the implementation of the project.

(with inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)