KATHMANDU: Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ghanashyam Bhusal has sought suggestions from local levels to find ways to protect the agriculture sector from possible impact of coronavirus crisis.

Local levels are asked to provide suggestions on the purchase of agricultural produces, use of barren lands, and roles of provincial and federal governments and local levels to that end.

The Ministry has put forth an agriculture development concept along with five policy strategies to ensure effective implementation of measures for keeping agricultural yields intact.

Minister Bhusal said that budget of the next fiscal year (2077/78 BS) would be prepared in coordination with the other ministries of the federal and provincial levels, as well as the local governments.

"A memorandum of understanding to this effect has been reached through series of meetings with the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives at the provincial level," he said, adding that plans were afoot to hold discussions with local levels within each province on the matter.