KATHMANDU, JULY 17
The European Union has provided another EUR 12 million for Nepal's agriculture and EUR 4.7 million for School Sector Development, according to a press release issued by the Delegation of the European Union to Nepal.
The EU has been supporting the Agriculture and Rural Development Programme since 2019 with EUR 36 million and the School Sector Development since 2016 with EUR 81 million, the EU stated in its release.
"I take this opportunity to congratulate the authorities for the results and progress achieved in the sectors since the launch of the Agriculture Development Strategy in 2015and the School Sector Development Programme in 2016.
Both sectors were major drivers in overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19, and we are happy that the EU could support them directly.
The EU and Nepal work hand in hand to prioritise agriculture and education and we will remain strong partners in this field in the future," stated EU Ambassador to Nepal Nona Deprez. The EU said the government's School Sector Development Programme had been successful in addressing access to education despite the parallel challenges of adapting to the new federal system and the COVID-19 crisis. It has limited learning losses and improved retention in secondary grades, particularly for girls. It is followed by the School Education Sector Plan which will provide inclusive and quality education for all with additional support from the European Union and Finland in a Team Europe approach, the EU stated in its release.
The agriculture sector has stabilised Nepal's economy during and after the COV- ID-19 pandemic by maintaining and generating employment.
The GDP from agriculture continued to grow, thanks to the government's increased budget allocations in the sector. Today, Nepal is maintaining its forest cover, increasing GDP from agri-businesses and becoming self-sufficient in chicken, eggs, meat and powder milk production, thanks to the Agriculture Development Strategy.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development with the support of EU-funded technical assistance team has rolled-out the ADS to the provincial and local levels. The provinces are developing their own strategies.
Moreover the provinces engage actively with the local governments.
The first comprehensive monitoring exercise of ADS achievements recently conducted by the ministry concluded that challenges remain in the growing food trade deficit. Monitoring results will also underpin the new National Agriculture Policy and the new National Agriculture Extension Strategy, both crucial to achieving the vision for 2035, as formulated in the ADS.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 18, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
